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CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Price, 35 Cents 




WALTER H • BAKER & CO 

BOSTON 



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^ y^y^^-y-yyyyy a w" i^r 3 ¥ t y ynry j iiF^ 



Camp Fidelity Girls 

A Comedy in Four Acts 



By 
EDITH LOWELL 



Dramatized, by permission, from the well-known 
story by 

ANNIE HAMILTON DONNELL 



NOTE 

This play may be performed by amateurs free of royalty and 
without express permission. The professional stage-rights are, 
however, strictly reserved, and performance by professional 
actors, given in advertised places of amusement and for profit, 
is forbidden. Persons who may wish to produce this play pub- 
licly and professionally should apply to the author in care of the 
publishers. 




BOSTON 

WALTER H. BAKER & CO. 

1920 






Camp Fidelity Girls 



students at 
Hatton Hall School. 



CHARACTERS 

Barbara Wether ell 

Judy Wetherell, her sister 

Jessica Thayer 

Mary Shepherd, otherwise Plain Mary 

Edna Holl 

Mrs. Tucker, a next-door neighbor. 

Johnnie Tucker, known as Johnnie-Son. 

Barnaby Campbell, a big child. 

Jennie Brett, a country girl. 

Cousin Salome. 

Aunt Elizabeth. 

Uncle Jeff. 

Time in Playing.— Two hours. 



SYNOPSIS OF SCENES 

Act I. Room at Hatton Hall School. 

Act II. Scene I. Camp Fidelity. Afternoon. Scene II The 
next morning. 

Act III. Scene I. Same. Two weeks later. Scene II. 
Midnight. 

ACT IV. Scene I. Same. Six weeks later. Scene II. A half- 



hour later. 




Copyright, 1920, by Edith Lowell 

Free for amateur performance. Profession 7 ? stage 

and moving picture rights reservea. 

©OLD 55287 



Camp Fidelity Girls 



ACT I 

SCENE. — Room at Hatton Hall School. Bureau up l., 
couch l. c, chair down l. of c, study table and chairs 
r. c, rocking-chair down r. Barby discovered down 
l. playing on violin. Judy and Mary with heads tied 
up in Turkish towels are seated at table trying to study. 
Edna enters. 

Edna. What on earth ! Have you girls all gone crazy, 
or are you just shampooed? Or is it the earache, or the 
toothache ? Girls ! Why don't you speak ? 

Plain Mary. When she has it bad we always tie up 
our ears. 

Judy (to Mary). There you go, beginning at the end 
of the story as usual. (To Edna.) It's only Barby 
having another attack of mal-a-la-fiddle. Have a towel? 
(Hands one to Edna. Plain Mary, xvho has been 
writing on fly leaf of geometry, passes book to Judy. 
Judy reads.) "Would that the Jews," Barby, I mean, 
"had another wailing-place. " (To Mary.) Discipline, 
my poor dear, discipline. 

Edna. Judy, you ought to wear that headgear all the 
time, it's very becoming. 

Mary. I notice you didn't address that remark to me. 

Judy. Of course she didn't; you are certainly not at 
your best, my dear, and you know it. Och ! (Puts 
hands over ears.) Isn't it awful to have a musical sister? 
Oh, please, Barby, spare (Enter Jessica with let- 
ters.) Mine! 

Mary. Mine, quick, Jess Thayer! 



4 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Barby (laying violin aside). Oh, do give me mine. 

Edna. Well, if the mail's in, I'll go for mine. Bye- 
bye, girls. [Exit. 

Jess. Supposing they're all of them mine, my dears, 
I have a large list of correspond 

Mary. Supposing this one's mine ! 

Judy. And this dear little blue one's mine from 
mumpsie ! 

Mary (aside, sighing). Of course there is none for 
me. There's no one to write but father and it isn't time 
to settle the term bills. Well, I'll gather the crumbs 
from the other girls' feast and be thankful for my friends. 

Judy (who has been reading letter). Mine's from 
mumpsie and she says Oh, my goodness ! 

Barby. I don't believe she ever said, " Oh, my good- 
ness ! " in her life ! Mother never indulges in slang. 

Judy. She says we 're marooned ! 

All. We're what? 

Judy. Maroon — well, quarantined then. It doesn't 
matter which, does it? Or else she says, they're quar- 
antined. Somebody is. 

Barby. jomebody is crazy ! Give me that letter, Judy 
Wetherell, and do you go and wet that towel you're done 
up in, in ice water; it's gone to your brain. (Takes 
letter, reads and groans. ) Girls, for a fact she says it ! 

Jess. So does mine. 

Judy. Who's crazy, now? Get some more ice- water, 
somebody. Get a whole cake. 

Mary (calmly, drawling). I believe to my soul it's 
catching, I certainly begin to feel light-headed. Will 
some kind soul explain what it all means. 

Barby. Listen ! this is what mother says : " I'm afraid 
it will be bad news, dearies, but we're in for a siege of 
scarlet fever here. Already nine cases are reported and 
a great many have been exposed. Jessica's mother and 
I have agreed that our girls must not be allowed to walk 
into the dreadful trap." 

Jess. And here's some from my letter, too. " You 
must all stay in a safe place until it is over. We've only 
got as far as that yet — that you must not come home. 
We shall try to hatch up some nice little vacation plan 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 5 

for you all. There are still ten days left, and it doesn't 
take nice little plans as long to hatch as it does chickens." 

(All sink in chairs lost in thought.) 

Mary (aside). Father doesn't write and tell me not 
to come home. That's how valuable I am to father. 

Judy. Well? 

Barby. Well! Perhaps you think it is — I don't. 

Jess. Not go home! Girls, it's no use, I'm going to 
cry. (Goes to bureau; ransacks drawers.) I'm going to 
do it just as soon as I find a c-clean p-pocket handker- 
chief. 

(Judy takes towel off her head and hands it to Jess.) 

Judy. Here, take this. It's nice and roomy, but please 
don't cry on the border. Nobody knows what effect salt 
has on red stripes. 

Barby. Don't anybody dare to laugh. This is a deep- 
dyed tragedy. 

Jess. I've found one! Now I want a rocking-chair. 
If you've got to cry, you might as well take a little com- 
fort doing it. 

(Barby pushes easy chair towards her. Mary brings 
footstool. Judy gives her a fan.) 

Judy. One ! two ! three ! ready ! (Jess laughs; all join 
tremulously.) All who feel better say, " I." 
Jess. I. 
Barby. I. 

(Plain Mary opens her lips to say "I" but comes 
nearer crying. Jumps to her feet laughing unstead- 
ily; wildly.) 

Mary. I'm going home and get it — and — and — die, 
nobody cares. There ! 

(The girls flock around her, hugging her, etc.) 

Judy. Do you call that not caring? 
Jess. And that ! 
Barby. And that ! 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Mary. That's enough ! Oh, Judy, you're strangling 
me! 

Judy. Then be ashamed of yourself! 

Mary. I am — awfully. Yes, oh, yes! I'll take it all 
back if you'll spare my life! You're all of you regular 
dears. I didn't mean you, I was thinking of 

{Catches herself up loyally.) 

Jess {hurriedly). Did Edna go? I didn't notice, I 
was so excited over the mail. Don't you love to get let- 
ters? {Aside.) Poor Plain Mary! What a father! I 
must talk and make her forget. I know a dandy way to 
make some fudge — you take 

The Others. Fudge ! 

Judy. You awful girl ! Fudge in the midst of calam- 
ity. It's worse than Barby fiddling while Rome burned. 
Of course I don't mean to insinuate that your fudge 
would resemble Rome in any particular. 

Barby {dreamily). I was going to teach Hop o' 
Thumb to play the violin this summer. Oh, Judy, that 
reminds me — what if Hop o' Thumb and little Katherine 
have the scarlet fever ! 

Judy {shuddering). Don't! Still, if it was a choice 
between that and learning to play the fid 

(Barby throws a pillozv at Judy. Enter Edna zvav- 
ing two letters.) 

Edna. Oh, girls ! I've run all the way from the 
office to bring these letters. They're special delivery! 
The man was just going to send them up, but I told him 

1 was coming right back and would take them. Oh, do 
open them quick! 

Jess. How can we if you don't say who they're for? 

Edna. This one is for you, and this for Plain Mary. 
Oh, I hope it isn't bad news ! 

Mary. It's from Aunt Elizabeth, and there's a note 
in it from father. {Reads.) " Don't come home. There 
is a great deal of scarlet fever in town. Sent wire yester- 
day. I hope it didn't frighten you." — Why, what do 
you suppose became of the telegram? I ought to have 
heard before any of you ! — " Don't worry. We will see 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 7 

what can be done." (Aside.) He did care! He did 
care ! " Aunt Elizabeth is writing particulars. Father." 

Edna. Oh, girls, scarlet fever ! 

Barby. Yes, isn't it dreadful! It's all over Barrie. 
The whole town is quarantined, and we can't any of us go 
home. Who's yours from, Jess ? 

Jess. It's from mother. Oh, I hope nobody's sick! 

Judy. Well, what are you waiting for? Why don't 
you read it and find out ? 

(Jess reads while girls look over her shoulder.) 

Jess. " Dear Jessica, we have hit upon a delightful 
plan. Uncle Jeff has just returned from looking up a 
camping place for you. What do you say to taking up 
an 'abandoned farm' and 'running it' this summer? 
There's one all ready for you in a dear little pocket 
among the hills. It has the quaintest name — you would 
never guess ! Well, then — ' Fidelity ! ' " 

Barby. Did you ever hear such a funny name for a 
place ? 

Edna. Such a lovely name ! Oh, you lucky girls ! I 
wish I was quarantined, or abandoned, or turned out to 
pasture ! 

Judy. I'd go, if there wasn't anything there but the 
name. 

Mary. I don't see how anybody could abandon any- 
thing in a place called Fidelity ! Oh, do you suppose it's 
haunted? Yes. I'm ready to go as soon as I can get 
my trunk packed. 

Barby. I hope it has a history so that I can write 
some reminiscences or maybe find a will in a secret panel ! 

Jess (reads). "Uncle Jeff has made arrangements to 
have the house opened and set to rights a little. He says 
the people next door will set up some beds and supply 
the bedding for them, and make things generally look a 
little inhabitable and spend-the-summerable. You can 
carry all your curtains and cushions and furbelows in 
your trunks. It will be camping out, you see, so you 
musn't expect too much. You will live out-of-doors 
mostly, in that wonderful mountain air." 

Judy. And Fidelity — in Fidelity! That's better than 



8 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

any of your mountain air. I don't ask for anything else 
to live out-of-doors in. 

Jess. Girls, this is great ! It will be no end of a lark 
to house-keep up there all by ourselves! Think of the 
messes we'll cook, and the 

Judy. Aches we'll have. 

Barby. I shall take my violin, but you needn't any 
of you worry. I shall practice out-of-doors. 

Judy. Poor, dear Fidelity ! 

Jess (sings). Fidel-i-tee, Fi-del-i-tee 

Barby (playing and singing). I yearn for thee, I 
yearn for thee ! 

Judy. Girls, we must have a cat. She must be there 
purring. A cat that doesn't purr when she's wound up 
might as well be a zebra. And I'm going to name her. I 
shall call her Fidelia — no matter if " she " has been 
Thomas Jefferson or John Quincy Adams hitherto. 
Fidelia goes with Fidelity, and Fidelia it shall be. 

Jess (who has been reading her letter). There's going 
to be a dragon. 

Judy. Mercy! Not a live one! 

Jess. Well, I should hope it would be alive, if there's 
got to be one. Perhaps you'd like to be chaperoned by a 
dead dragon, Judy Wetherell ! 

Judy. Oh ! Chaperoned ! Have we got to be ? Read 
it again, Jess. You've made a mistake. She says, " You 
really ought to be," or " really ought to have," or some- 
thing like that. 

Jess. She says, " Of course you must have some older 
person with you. I have asked your Cousin Salome — 
you remember Cousin Salome, Jessica? — to go and keep 
you in order. She writes she will be glad of the chance. 
Her school will close very soon, and I shall have her 
meet you somewhere on the way." 

Judy. Is she old? Forty? 

Jess. Oh, I suppose so. She's a school-ma'am and 
school-ma'ams are always forty, aren't they? 

Edna. Always. 

Mary. Is she an old maid? 

Jess. Oh, I suppose so. Aren't school-ma'ams al- 
ways? 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 9 

Edna. Always. 

Judy. Seems to me if I had a cousin — Salome, or 
Jerome, or anybody else — I'd know things, without " I 
suppose-ing " 'em all. 

Jess. I don't know; I have to suppose 'em. I never 
saw Cousin Salome but once, and then I was asleep — I 
mean she was asleep — well, somebody was, anyway, I 
was a baby ! 

Edna. Then it was you, of course. 
Jess. Well, then I don't " suppose " you'd expect me 
to know all about my Cousin Salome — or Jerome or 
Cousin Anybody Else — would you? 

Judy. No; oh, no. You're exonerated, my dean 
. . . I shall raise cabbages. 

Barby. " ' The time has come,' the Walrus said, 
' To talk of many things: 
Of shoes and ships and sealing wax — 
Of cabbages and kings — 
And why the sea is boiling hot, 
And whether pigs have wings.' " 

Judy Wetherell, what are you talking about? 

Judy. Cabbages. I shall raise 'em. Then we can 
have salads three times a day. I don't know what's the 
use of being on a farm if you don't raise things. 

Barby. You'll raise Cain, that's what you'll raise, 

Judy Wetherell (Judy goes for her with a pillow.) 

I meant, I m-meant sugar-cane. Plain Mary, what did 
your aunt say in her letter ? You never told us. 

Mary. You didn't give me a chance. Besides she 
didn't say much. She worries about my rubbers and 
headaches and wants to know if I always bathe them 
in camphor and put them on when it is damp. 

Barby. Read it, do, dear. I'm afraid you're getting 
mixed. 

Mary {reads). " Mind you don't sleep without plenty 
over you. I'll send you some blankets and sheets, for 
it's liable to be cold nights ; and don't forget to wear your 
rubbers." 

Judy. Gracious ! — to bed ? 

Mary. " And if you have a sore throat, take some 



10 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

moss-tea. I'll put in the moss. For burns, use the salve 
I send. For cold in your head, smell camphor at once — 
I'll put that in. Nothing is so good for a sprain as 
Lacy's Sure Liniment — rub it on. If you get your feet 
wet, soak them in hot water immediately." 

Judy (sotto voce). Gracious! I should think that 
would make them wetter ! 

Mary (folds letter; her face wistful). Aunt Eliza- 
beth's a good woman, and father did care! 

CURTAIN 



ACT II 

SCENE I. — Living-room in farmhouse at Camp Fidelity. 
Room in disorder. Trunk in middle of floor. Girls 
arranging draperies, cushions, etc. Judy on step-ladder 
by window, Mary hanging picture, Barby unpacking 
trunk. Johnnie-Son looking on. 

Barby. I'm so glad the trunks have come. If we 
don't get some sofa-pillows and curtains and pictures 
scattered round these bare rooms. Cousin Salome will 
have a fit of homesickness on the threshold. I don't feel 
homesick a bit; do any of the rest of you? 

Jess. Not I. 

Mary. Nor I. 

Johnnie-Son. Nor me — I don't feel homesick a single 
speck of a mite. I like it to this house. I wish 'twas 
p'lite for folks to stay to houses athout bein' invited, but 
my mother says, " Oh, no, it isn't." Once I was invited 
to dinner with some folks. 

Judy. And you shall be again, this minute. Girls, 
where are your manners, for pity's sake? {Gets down 
from ladder.) Come here and help me urge Johnnie- 
Son to stay to dinner with us. You will stay, won't you, 
Johnnie-Son? Don't say no. 

J. S. Oh, no'm — I mean yes'm, I won't. You're puf- 
fickly welcome to me. Oh ! I forgot, I got to get Barnaby. 

[Exit. 

Judy. Well, did you ever! I wonder who Barnaby 
is? 

Barby. I for one am glad Cousin Salome missed the 
train yesterday. Of course she'll be here some time to- 
day. It's sort of fun settling things ourselves. 

Mary. The only thing that troubles me is burglars. 
I was relying on Cousin Salome to keep them off. 

Judy. I have a better plan! We'll boil the cabbages. 

ii 



12 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

No self-respecting burglar would burgle where cabbages 
were boiling! 

Barby. But what are we going to do if she doesn't 
come right away ? 

Jess. Then we must try to be reconciled. She's my 
cousin. If I can bear it, I guess the rest of you can. 

Barby. But they may not let us stay here without 
her. 

Jess. Barby Wetherell, you don't mean to make us 
go away — from Fidelity? 

Barby. That is what I mean, my dear. We are so 
youthful, you know. 

Jess. I thought perhaps they'd think it wasn't proper 
for us to stay here alone. 

Mary. But where could we go, for pity's sake? 

Jess. Oh, I don't know — back to school, maybe. I 
think it would break my heart to do it. 

Mary. I know it would break mine. 

Jess (sings). Fi-del-i-tee, Fi-del-i-tee, I yearn for 
thee! 

Mary. Do you think I'm going to give it all up now? 
Cousin Salome 's got to come ! I've got to find out who 
lives in that little chrome-yellow house over there, and in 
that big white one, and in all the white ones. I've got to 
go to church in that lovely little crooked church, and buy 
some peppermints in that parlor-post-office. I know they 
keep peppermints. Johnnie-Son says so. And I want to 
find out who Barnaby is, and get intimate with the next- 
door family. I'm perfectly in love with this darling old 
place. Do you think I'm going to give it up just because 
of Cousin Salome's 

Judy. In-Fidelity ? 

Barby. The youngest of us is sixteen and the oldest 
is going on eighteen. I guess we can set up housekeep- 
ing on an abandoned farm without a dragon. 

Judy. I guess so. It doesn't take much age to plant 
cabbages. Sixteen or sixty, it doesn't matter. 

Mary (laughing). And besides, we can't help our- 
selves, we've got to set up alone. I say we do ourselves 
proud and make Cousin Salome say, " Bless thee, my 
children ! " when she comes. 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS I3 

Enter Jennie Brett. 

Jennie. Mis' Tucker asked me to bring you a box of 
berries and some lettuce and a loaf of cake. I left 'em 
on the table in the kitchen. And here's a letter Mr. 
Tucker got at the office for one of you. Where's Johnnie- 
Son? Mis' Tucker said he was over here or she'd sent 
him. 

Barby. He said he was going after Barnaby. You're 
Jennie Brett, aren't you? Mrs. Tucker said your mother 
expected you home this morning and we saw you when 
you came. 

Jennie. Yes'm. I been up to the city visitin' my 
grandmother. 

Barby. Won't you sit down? The letter is for you, 
Jess. Thank you so much for bringing the things, Jennie, 
and won't you tell us who Barnaby is ? 

Jennie. His name is Campbell, Barnaby Campbell. 
He's near fifteen years old but mother says he's only a big 
baby and we mustn't expect him to be like other folks. 
He has fits. He had the scarlet fever when he was six 
and he's been this way ever since. There's nothing he 
likes better than follerin' Johnnie-Son round. I guess I 
got to go now. (Rises.) 

Judy. Don't go yet, Jennie, we've hardly got ac- 
quainted. Did you have a good time up to the city ? 

Jennie. Yes'm, I had a lovely time. 

Judy. What did you do ? 

Jennie. Well, I mostly learned to speak pieces. 
Grandmother took lessons once. 

Judy. My, that was nice. What pieces did you learn ? 
Couldn't you say one for us? 

Jennie. I wouldn't das ? t to. 

Barby. Oh, please do, Jennie. You needn't be afraid 
of us. 

Jennie (bashfully). I'm 'fraid you'll laugh at me. 
Folks gen'ally does. 

Judy. Indeed we won't. Come now. You can stand 
right out here, and we'll all listen. 

(Jennie, coming out into the middle of stage, recites 



14 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

" Seven Times One " with extravagant gestures; as 
she finishes with a stiff bow the girls applaud heart- 
ily.) 

Barby. Thank you, Jennie; I never heard anything 
just like that before. 

Jennie. I got to go, now. I've got to go to the store 
for Ma. She'll be waiting on me. Anything I can get 
for you, Miss 

Barby. Barbara. No, thank you, Jennie. Yes, come 
to think of it, you may bring me a yeast cake. I think 
I'll try some raised bread to-night. 

(Barby gives Jennie some pennies and goes to the 
door with her.) 

Jess {reading letter). Oh, girls, listen to this. It's 
from mother. " I had word from your Cousin Salome, 
dear, and she is afraid she won't be able to go to Fidelity 
to look after you girls after all ! It seems there is to be 
a new department in her city school this summer — a va- 
cation school, and they want Salome to take charge of it. 
Well, perhaps we're not in a peck of trouble! Mrs. 
Wetherell and I hold mothers' congresses over the back 
fence two or three times a day, and Mary's aunt at- 
tended the last one." 

Mary. Aunt Elizabeth! 

Jess. " She agrees with us that something must be 
done. None of us thinks it is just the thing for you four 
girls to be stranded off there in a strange country all 
alone." 

Barby. What did I tell you? I was afraid they 
wouldn't think it was proper. 

Jess. Do let me go on. " So far we can think only 
of Hatton School, for we cannot let you come home as 
things are now." {All groan.) "I know, darling, I 
know ! It wouldn't be the pleasantest place in the world 
in vacation, but what can we do? If you knew how I 
longed to get you into my m-m-m-m " 

(Jess breaks down and cries.) 

Mary {getting up and moving away from window). 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 1 5 

I am not going to sit here and look at mountains and 
woods and valleys and think about Hatton School. 

Judy. You'd better shut all the windows. I can hear 
the brook. Oh, girls, see here, we can't go away now. 
All in favor say " We can't." It is a vote. 

(Girls all express dejection. Johnnie-Son enters fol- 
lozved by Barnaby.) 

Johnnie-Son. What's the matter with all o' you? 
You havin' a funeral ? I went to one once, an' the folks 
sat round an' looked just the way you do. There was a 
minister, though, to that one, an' then some folks stood 
up and sang, " Hark the tune's a doleful sound." 

Judy (laughing). Come in here and help me put up 
the curtains, Johnnie-Son, the funeral's over. I'm 
ashamed of myself and if those other three folks aren't 
ashamed of themselves, they ought to be. Who's this* 
your friend Barnaby? Won't you sit down and tell me 
the rest of your name and how old you are, and — and 
things ? 

Barny. I've forgot my tail-name. What's my tail- 
name, Johnny? 

J. S. Cam'el, Barnaby. 

Judy. But it ought not to be Campbell. It ought to 
be Rudge. 

Barny. I've forgot how old I be. How old be I, 
Johnnie ? 

J. S. I'm not certain sure. I think six. Yes, Barny, 
six, 'cause I heard my mother say you an' me was just of 
an age, an' I'm six. 

Barny. Yes, me an' him's six. How old be you? 

Judy. I ? 

Barny. She's forgot, too! Tell her how old she is, 
Johnnie. 

Judy. Oh, how old I am ? I'm sixteen. 

Barny. She's six, too. We're all of us six. 

(They take hold of hands and dance round.) 

Barby (jumping up). Girls, I have an idea! I'll tell 
you what we'll do. We'll advertise for a dragon. 



l6 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Mary. Advertise ? 

Judy. Barby Wetherell, are you crazy ? 

Barby. That's right, make fun of me if it amuses you. 
Give me a big piece of paper, somebody, and a pencil. I 
am inspired. (Mary gets a large piece of wrapping 
paper; Jess gets pencil. Barby spreads paper on the 
floor; writes. ) " Wanted : a Dragon ; one without horns 
preferred." (Johnnie gets down beside her and ad- 
mires.) There must be some explanation, of course. 
How's this? {Writes.) "Four unprotected girls of 
respectable lineage desire the company of an elderly fe- 
male of refinement who can make biscuit with the best of 
references." There's something wrong about the last of 
it, but it will do. Oh, yes ! There ought to be an " In- 
quire within." 

Judy. I'm glad you put that in about the biscuits. The 
matter with your biscuits, Barby, was you forgot to put 
in the " best of references." You couldn't expect 'em to 
rise. Where shall you put your ad., Barby? 

Barby. Oh — er — on a tree, maybe. Tack it on. 

J. S. We had somethin' tacked onto a tree once. 
There was printin' on it, too — " Pigs for Sale." 

Barby. Did they "sale," Johnnie-Son? 

J. S. A man read what was wrotened on the tree an' 
came an' buyed the pigs. 

(Johnnie watches his chance, picks up paper and 
goes out.) 

Barby. What did I tell you? I said I was inspired. 
A man — a woman, I mean — will read what I have writ — 
" wrotened " here, and our troubles will be over. 

Mary. There ought to be a bench out on the back 
porch with a looking-glass hung over it and a beautiful 
shiny basin on it, and a soap-dish and a towel. I'm going 
straight out and see about it this minute. 

(Mary goes out. Barny picks up a cake of soap from 
table. ) 

Judy (calling after her). You don't need any towels. 
You can sit on a stump and look at the mountains, and 
drain. Oh, Barny, don't eat that soap. 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 1 7 

Barny. I like it ; it's hunky. 

Judy. But it may kill you — don't ! 

Barny. You can't kill me. Nothin' ever did but 
once, an' that was fly-paper. 

Judy. Come with me, Barny, and I'll get you one of 
Barby's nice biscuits. 

(Takes soap from him. Exit, followed by Barnaby.) 

Barny. I'd ruther enough sight have that soap. It 
smells good. 

Barby. I'm dying to rummage round in the garret, 
Jess. Come on, let's ; we may not get another chance. 

[Exit both. 
Enter Cousin Salome. 

Salome. So this is Camp Fidelity. Well, I'm sure I 
shall like this much better than teaching school. I'll just 
apply for the job of dragon. I wonder who put that 
advertisement out on the tree. What fun they are having. 
Where can they all be? (Sits. Enter Barbara; stops 
short on seeing visitor. Salome rises.) I beg your 
pardon for intruding, but the door was open and the room 
looked so cool and inviting that I walked in. I read your 
notice down there on the maple by the gate and thought I 
would apply. For the position of " Dragon," you know. 
I've been shut up under cover for a good while, and I 
am certain from my feelings I must be " elderly," and I 
haven't any home and I can make biscuits with the best 
of references. Do you think I will do? 

Barby. You say there is a notice down there on the 
big maple by the gate ? Somebody must have John- 
nie-Son. It was just some of our nonsense. We never 
thought of its being really put up anywhere ! That little 
rogue, Johnnie-Son, must have done it while we were 
talking. But — but we do want somebody 

Salome. A Dragon? Then why not take me? I'll 
come on trial, subject to return after ten days, if unsat- 
isfactory, and money refunded. I really believe I would 
make a good Dragon. I confess I never was one, but 
the profession appeals to me. And I can make lovely 
biscuits ! 



1 8 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Barby. Then you're engaged. I've nearly killed the 
girls with mine, although we've only been here two days. 
I'm sure I don't know why they weren't good; I put 
everything into 'em. (Goes to door.) Girls, come here, 
please. (Girls enter.) Judy, Plain Mary, Jess, this is 
— I don't know who this is. 

Salome. Call me Miss Sally. (To the others.) I 
was passing along the street and seeing your notice on 
the tree and being out of a situation hastened to apply. 
And your friend here has been good enough to engage 
me on trial. You are Judy, are you not ? 

Judy. Yes, Miss Sally — Judy Wetherell, and Barbara 
is my dignified older sister. She is a musical genius, but 
you'll find that out soon enough. And this is Jessica, 
Jessica Thayer, otherwise known as Jess. And this is 
Plain Mary 

Salome. I'm sure we shall be great friends, my dears. 
But will you please tell me how you came to be called 
Plain Mary ? The name is so evidenly a misfit. 

Judy. Why, you see, Miss Sally, when a girl insists 
that her name is Mary, Plain Mary, because her great- 
grandmother's was, and simply refuses to take advice 
and spell it Marie or twist it into something nice and 
interesting, what are you going to do? 

Salome. I see — it would be impossible for it to be 
anything but Plain Mary, under the circumstances, fit or 
no fit. Now, have you had your supper? No, I know 
you haven't; you all look hungry. If you'll tell me where 
the flour-barrel is, I'll go and make some biscuits. Time 
enough to send for my baggage after supper. 

Jess. Oh, Miss Sally, I'm so glad you came. We 
were so afraid our mothers wouldn't let us stay. But 
now I'm sure they will. We'll write to-night. 

Salome. And I will write also and send references, 
so they will know I'm not an impostor. 

Jess. An impostor, the idea ! Oh, Miss Sally, I'm so 
glad Cousin Salome couldn't come. (Takes her arm.) 
You come with me. I'll show you where everything is. 

[Exit both. 

Mary. Isn't she a dear ? Blessed Johnnie-Son ! He 
builded better than he knew. If we can stay right here 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 19 

like this, I, for one, am reconciled to Cousin Salome's 
desertion. 

Judy. I, for another. 

Barby. Well, we'll all write home to-night and intro- 
duce Miss Sally, and beg to stay, and I guess they'll 
let us. 

Enter Mrs. Tucker. 

Mrs. T. Here's your yeast cake. Jennie got as far as 
my house and gave out. She was so sick her mother 
had to come and help her home. I hope she ain't caught 
nothin' up to the city. She says she ain't been feelin' 
real well for quite a spell. My, but you begin to look 
homey here. Fidelity's a sightly place, ain't it? I tell 
Phineas if we haven't got anything else, we've got the 
everlastin' liills round us. Folks that come to it once 
mostly comes again. All except Emmeline. She ain't 
come back yit. That's her picture. 

Barby. She looks old, but her dresfs is buttoned 
behind. 

Mrs. T. Emmeline wa'n't ever young. Time and 
often I've heard my mother say it. I wa'n't born when 
that picture was taken. 

Barby. Here's something I found in the attic. The 
Lord's prayer worked in worsted. 

{All handle it and examine it.) 

Jess. How funny! 

Mrs. T. Land alive ! ain't you ever seen a sampler 
before? That's a sampler. 

Judy. Think of leaving pictures of your own folks 
and Lord's prayers worked with their own fingers, and 
rocking-chairs they'd rocked their babies— you, maybe — 
to sleep in. Think of leaving those things for strangers 
to look at and laugh at ! 

Mary. Not laugh at, Judy. 

Judy. Well, then, smile at ; they're so quaint and 
funny. 

Mrs. T. There wasn't any family to keep 'em after the 
old folks died. Emmeline's the only one left — if she is 
left — and Emmeline ain't been in the family this clear 



20 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

back. I wa'n't more'n half as old as Johnnie-Son when 
she dropped out. The house stood here empty, nobody 
claimin' it or payin' the taxes, till by and by the town up 
and sold it to pay 'em. Then somebody took it for a 
debt, and so it kept passin' into different hands. 

(Jess has entered unnoticed.) 

Jess. Till it got into Uncle Jeff's. 

Judy. And then into ours. Well, Barby'll be only too 
thankful there are heirlooms that go with it; she'll have 
the rocking-chair and the pictures and the " sample " of 
the Lord's Prayer worked up into her Cody reminiscences. 
Where's Miss Sally, Jess? 

Jess. She's making biscuits and we're to set the 
table. 

Barby. Congratulate us, Mrs. Tucker, Miss Sally is 
our new chaperon. We've engaged her temporarily, but 
we all hope she'll stay as long as we do. I wrote an 
advertisement for a joke, and Johnnie-Son tacked it up 
out front. Miss Sally saw it and applied. Come on, 
Jess, let's go see what we can do to help her. 

Mrs. T. Well, I'm sure I'm real glad. I felt kind a 
worried about you girls, all alone so, and not havin' any- 
body to go to if you got sick or scared or anything. I 
ought to be gettin' home, but I hate to move. I'm all 
"tuckered out." 

Judy. Tuckered out? 

Mrs. T. That's Phineas's best joke. I tell him I have 
wore it to a skeleton. I set up all night with Angelia 
Devine. You see 'twas my turn to set up with Angelia 
last night. Folks take turns. Last night was the hun- 
dred and twenty-first night she's had watchers. 

Judy. Had what, Mrs. Tucker? 

Mrs. T. Watchers — folks to set up all night with her. 

Judy. The hundred and twenty-first night ! 

Mrs. T. Yes — a-runnin'. We ain't skipped a night. 
It's been considerable of a chore, but Fidelity folks don't 
shirk their duty. We're all dretful fond of Angelia. 

Mary. Who is she? Tell us about her, Mrs. Tucker? 
I'd like to know about Angelia. 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 21 

Mrs. T. Well, there ain't much to tell. Angelia's 
Angelia Devine, that lives a piece up the road, in that 
little house on the left 

Mary {interested). Yes, I know — the chrome-yellow 
one. 

Mrs. T. An' she's be'n sick this way back, nobody 
knows what with. I tell Phineas the doctor don't know 
a mite better than we do. It's something mysterious. 
Some call it a case o' dispensation, but I don't. I call it 
a case o' original sickness. Angelia always was original. 
She had the whoopin' cough different from other folks — 
whooped different. 

Judy. But can't the doctor help her any? Doesn't 
he give her any medicine? 

Mrs. T. Medicine! I gave Angelia Devine fifteen 
doses with my own hands last night. There's always 
fifteen doses. And she has to be woke up every three- 
quarters of an hour to take 'em. 

Judy. Fifteen — but I don't see how there could pos- 
sibly be. 

Mrs. T. I don't, but there be. The watchers have to 
be right up and comin' to get 'em all in regular. The 
doctor is dreadful particular. And it frets Miss Angelia 
to be woke up so often. There's a good many kinds, too. 
There's one kind that's a tonic, and another kind that's 
to be took before the tonic, an' another that's to be took 
after. An' there's a sleepin' powder. The sleepin' 
powder makes poor Angelia kind o' mad, an' I don't 
wonder. It would make me mad to be woke up to take 
a sleepin' powder. 

Judy. Poor Angelia ! I should say ! 

Mary. I would try to remember them all, and I can 
keep awake beautifully. 

Judy. You mean aslee 

Mary. You look so tired, Mrs. Tucker, and every- 
body must be so tired. Please let me try. 

Judy. Begin at the beginning, do, my dear. Let you 
try what? Of course I know, but you can't expect Mrs. 
Tucker to. 

Mary. Try to be a watcher. I think I could be, 
truly. I'm seventeen. 



22 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Mrs. T. Yoit dear child, you. It rests me just to set 
here and hear you. 

Mary. But I am in earnest. I would be so glad to 
help a little bit like that, Mrs. Tucker ! The rest of you 
have done it a hundred and twenty-one nights. 

Judy. I'd like to, too. I'd go with her. 

Mrs. T. You dear children ! Of course you could do 
it. An' Angel i a sets great store by young folks ; Angelia'd 
like it. I don't know. Still it seems a pity — to-night's 
Emily Sue's night — Em'ly Sue Brett's. I was thinkin' of 
goin' again to-night. Emily Sue took my night when 
Johnnie-Son had the earache. An' poor Em'ly Sue's all 
worried and flustered over Jennie. She warn't lookin' 
right when she come home and now she's took down 
sick. She's flushed up considerable and feverish, an' 
she says it hurts her to swallow. I don't know how I 
could stand it another night runnin'. 

Judy (decisively). What time shall we go? 

Mrs. T. You no need to go before eight. I'll go 
with you and introduce you to Angelia an' get you 
started. 

Mary. I'll run over and tell Mrs. Brett and that will 
relieve her mind and save you the trouble of going, Mrs. 
Tucker. 

Jess (at the kitchen door). Supper's ready, girls. 
Won't you stay, Mrs. Tucker, and meet Miss Sally? 

CURTAIN 



SCENE II. — Living-room Camp Fidelity. Time, the 
next morning. 

Barby (meeting Judy and Mary at door). You poor 
dear thing ! How ever did you keep awake ? I'm sm-e I 
never could have done it. We've got the bed all ready 
and the coffee-pot's boiling and you're going to get right 
straight into it as soon as you have something to eat. 

Judy. Mercy! what do you want to scald us for? 

Barby. It's gone to your head sitting up all night ! 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 2$ 

Oh, I see — right straight into bed I meant. But the 
coffee-pot's boiling just the same, and Miss Sally has 
some flap-jacks all ready to flap. 

Mary (sits and yawns and stretches). Tell her to flap 
'em now. (Dreamily.) I mean to be one some day. 

Barby. Be what, for goodness sake ! 

Judy. Oh, I suppose she means she's going to be a 
professional nurse, she always begins in the middle. Isn't 
it a perfectly beautiful morning and isn't it good to be 
alive, even if we have been awake all night ? 

Mary. We! How we did keep awake all night! 
Never shut our eyes ! 

Judy. Well, perhaps I did shut 'em once. Just a 
little cat nap, but you woke me up keeping still. 

Mary. Those old milk pans! Who would have 
dreamed she had so many! You see I was getting 
awfully sleepy and 

Enter Cousin Salome with cakes. 

Salome. Hot griddle-cakes, girls. I heard you com- 
ing in. Barby, pull up the table. Now eat these cakes 
and hop into bed. 

Judy. But I must tell you about Mary. 

Enter Jess. 

Jess. What's this about Mary? Aren't you most 
dead, girls? I went out to meet you, but you must 
have come up through the woods. 

Judy. Yes, Jess, it was so lovely, we did. Well, you 
see there were fifteen doses. We had gotten as far as 
number six when I got hungry or sleepy, I don't know 
which, and I asked Mary for one of Miss Angelia's doses. 
She said she'd give me a dose of next-door soup that 
Mrs. Tucker left for us. 

Mary. Yes, and I found some cookies and sponge 
cake and Judy began on those and forgot the soup. In 
a few minutes we smelled a horrible smell and Judy 
rushed out and found the next-door soup burned to a 
cinder ! 

Judy. Whew! What a cinder was there — my coun- 
trymen! 



24 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Mary. We tried to find something to drown it out 
with. We tried sugar and molasses and tea in turn but 
they all cooperated and made a worse smell. Finally we 
wrapped Miss Angelia up to her eyes and opened the 
windows. 

Judy. And what do you think I did? I was so 
excited that I couldn't think so I opened the closet door 
and there was a band-box. I took a bonnet and shawl 
that was hanging there and wrapped her up in those. 

Mary. Oh, girls, you should have seen her! — Night- 
cap and bonnet and the bonnet on wrong side to at that. 

Salome. Poor Miss Angelia ! I hope she didn't take 
cold. 

Barby. You're great nurses, you are ! 

Judy. When I came back after closing the windows, 
Miss Angelia made me give her the hand-glass and it 
wasn't till then that it struck me how funny she looked. 
I just laughed and laughed and so did she. Well, when 
we had calmed down again we began to be desperately 
sleepy. 

Mary. And Judy gave up and went to sleep. 

Judy. Yes ! But I was quiet about it anyway. 

Mary. Well, I suppose I may as well tell about it or 
Judy will. 

Judy. Yes. Judy will. You see, Mary went out and 
splashed her face in the brook a few times but that didn't 
do any good, so she decided to go into the back kitchen, 
take off her shoes and run up and down. 

Jess. So considerate of her to take off her shoes ! 

Judy. Yes, it proved so. She is so big and fat that 
she jarred every one of Miss Angelia's milk pans off 
the shelf and they made a terrible crash. I thought it 
was burglars and stuck my head cautiously through the 
door and whispered, " Is it you, or burglars, and what 
are you doing out there ? " And what do you think she 
said — she said she was trying to keep still and explained 
how it happened. (Laughs.) 

Barby. I should have thought you would have almost 
killed Miss Angelia. 

Judy. Well, we didn't. She's better. She really is. 
She's struck and she won't take any more medicine. She 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 25 

says laughing' s better than medicine and we've cured hen 
Even Mrs. Tucker says she looks better than she's looked 
for a hundred and twenty-one days. 

Barby. You needn't think you've monopolized all the 
excitement. I have played to an audience ! 

Jess. Truly ! How many in it and are they all alive ? 

Barby. Two, — three, really, one was so big. There 
were three on an average. They enjoyed it, too. The 
big one said it was " hunky." 

Jess. Barnaby. 

Judy. Ought-to-be-Rudge. 

Salome. Yes, and Johnnie-Son, I guess. 

Barby. Yes, and Johnnie-Son. Johnnie-Son said if 
that was what the angels played on he wouldn't mind 
going to Heaven so much. He had thought it wouldn't 
be any fun. And, girls, something happened ! It almost 
made me cry. I let Barnaby take my violin 

Jess. Well, go on, Barby. 

Barby. And he played on it. I wish you could have 
seen his face. It was almost grown up then. 

Judy. Not play, Barby ? 

Barby. Yes, but it wasn't my way, or anybody else's 
way. It was just Barnaby's. It was wild and sweet and 
creepy. Still you liked it. It didn't make a discord. 
And Barnaby, — Barnaby liked it. 

Salome. Poor Barnaby! 

Jess. Poor Mary, you'd better say ! 

Salome. What are we thinking of? Wake up, Mary, 
we're going to put you to bed. 

CURTAIN 



ACT III 

SCENE I. — Same as Act II. Time, one week later. 

(Barbara is standing at the back of the room looking 
at a picture of Emmeline that hangs on the wall.) 

Barby. There's an Emmeline story in this house and 
I mean to find it. I want to know all about you, you 
little solemn thing. I want to know if you ever had a 
good time in your life; if you ever laughed, or had a 
doll, or were happy. Open your mouth and tell me, why 
don't you? If you don't, I'll find out for myself. You 
can't keep it from me. 

Enter Miss Sally. 

Salome. Who are you talking to in here all alone? 
{Looks over Barby's shoulder at the picture.) 

Barby. Emmeline. 

Salome. Is that Emmeline? What a big-eyed little 
thing! {Enter Judy, Mary and Jess with work and 
magazines.) Why, how much she reminds me of my 
little Horned Owl ! The very picture of her ; she makes 
me sorry all over again. 

Judy. It's a story— tell it ! Tell it, Miss Sally ! 

Mary. Yes, do, please do. 

{All sit gathered about Miss Sally. Pick up zvork, 
etc.) 

Jess. Oh, I'm so glad Cousin Salome couldn't come. 

Salome. Cousin Salome 

Jess. Yes, the Dragon that didn't drag — my cousin, 
you know. She's a school-ma'am and wears specs and a 
green veil ; she'd have made us toe the mark, I tell you ! 
Old maids always make you. 
26 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS T.'J 

Salome. Is Cousin Salome an old maid, then? And 
how do you know she wears green veils and spectacles? 
Did you ever see her in the act ? 

Jess. No, I never did, but you needn't tell me ! She's 
my cousin, and I have a right to say I'm glad she isn't 
you. I mean you aren't her — oh, she, I mean ! Bother 
grammar and bother Cousin Salome ! 

Barby. Don't mind her, please — Jess, you ought not 
to interrupt. Now please, Miss Sally, tell us the story 
of the little Horned Owl. The Emmeline story can 
wait. 

Jess. I beg your pardon, Miss Sally, please go on 
with the story. 

Judy. Shall we cry? For I've lost my handkerchief. 

Salome. No, you won't cry, but you'll be sorry, too. 

Jess. Did it live in a tree? Owls do, don't they? 
and only come down nights— unless having horns makes 
a difference. 

Salome. The horns were two little bob curls on her 
forehead. They most always stood up straight. That 
and her great sad eyes named her for me. She was my 
very brightest scholar, I think. 

Jess (to Plain Mary). I didn't know Miss Sally was 
a school teacher, did you? 

(Mary shakes her head.) 

Salome. She was so fond of studying! Once she 
told me she meant to be a teacher, too. It would break 
her heart if she couldn't be, she said. I don't suppose 
she ever failed in a lesson. It seemed to be a perfect 
delight to her to study. 

Judy. Then she's dead. When did she die? 

Salome. No, I hear from her once in a while since 
she left school. 

Mary. Oh, did she have to leave ? 

Salome. Yes. If anything would have killed her, it 
would have been that. But I saw her once afterward, 
and she was alive — well, anyway, half alive. She was 
behind the notion counter in a great store. 

Jess. Oh, the poor little Owl ! 



28 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Barby. And her little bob-curls? Say her little bob- 
curls were there, Miss Sally. 

Salome. I didn't see them. That must have been 
why she had to speak before I knew her. I bought some 
needles, number tens, and then I bought some more 
needles, number tens. I wanted time to talk. I'm not 
sure I didn't do it the third time. 

Barby. Number tens? 

Salome. Yes ; if any of you are out of needles, they 
are very nice fine ones warranted to go through a camel's 
— no, that wasn't the way of it. Well, they are excellent 
needles. You are all quite welcome. 

Barby {eyes on Emmeline). Didn't she tell you why 
she left school, Miss Sally? 

Salome. She said her father had died. There was no 
money at all. So there she was selling needles all day 
long. It broke my heart when she told me she tried 
to study evenings, but it was so very hard to keep awake. 

Judy. You said we wouldn't cry. Give me your 
handkerchief, Barby. 

Salome. It is so very hard, Miss Salome, she said. 
She always had called me Miss Salo — er — Miss Sally. 
We were very friendly — I called her Glory, always. 

All. Cousin Salome! Cousin Salome! Cousin Sa- 
lome! 

Salome. I — I can't help it ; I was born so. 

Jess. Confess it all, impostor — everything! 

Salome. Well, I decided all at once not to teach the 
vacation school, and I came straight here. That's really 
all there was to it. I didn't stop to write — I brought the 
news with me. I read your advertisement in the paper — 
on the tree, I mean — and decided to apply for the situa- 
tion incog. It worked beautifully, till my tongue went 
and slipped, a minute ago. I suppose I've got to put 
on my spectacles and green veil, now ! 

Barby {turning Emmeline' s picture). I'll turn you 
to the wall, you poor shocked thing. You shan't have to 
look on such doings against your will. Then when we 
get good and proper again, I'll turn you back — if we 
ever do. I hope your story will be as interesting as 
Miss Sal — as Cousin Salome's story. (Mrs. Tucker 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 2Q, 

appears at the door.) Oh, Mrs. Tucker, come right in. 
We've found out all about Miss Sally. She isn't a dragon 
at all, she's Cousin Salome ! 

Salome. Yes, Mrs. Tucker. The girls have found 
me out. I am an impostor. 

Judy. We don't care who you are! We all think 
you're perfectly splendid and we'd go through fire and 
water (with our rubbers on) to please you. Why, Mrs. 
Tucker, I believe you knew all the time. 

Mrs. T. Of course I did. She told me all about how 
she wanted to get acquainted with you without your 
knowing who she was. She told me the day she came. 
Why, Barbara, what has poor Emmeline been doing that 
you've turned her back to us? Is she an impostor, too? 

Barby. Oh, I don't know, Mrs. Tucker, I'm just 
dying to hear more about her. Won't you tell us all you 
know? 

(Girls bring rocking-chair and Mrs. Tucker sits. 
Barby pulls up hassock and sits beside her. ) 

Mrs. T. Emmeline? Why, yes, I'll tell you about 
Emmeline as far as I know. She and Phineas went to 
school together. 

Barby. Did she really run away? What made her? 

Mrs. T. I guess Sylvanus Cody had about as much to 
do with it as anybody. I calc'late the Recordin' Angel's 
got it charged up against Sylvanus. 

Jess. Was he Emmeline's father, Mrs. Tucker? 

Mrs. T. Yes, child, father — an' mother, too, for that 
matter. Emmeline's mother died when she was a baby. 
Her father brought her up. He was a dretful queer 
man, an' set — he thought he knew everythin' about 
everythin'. He was 'specially sartain he knew how to 
bring up Emmeline. He learnt her to sew patchwork an' 
knit when she wasn't knee-high to a toad-stool. Folks 
said you could' ve seen her little peaked face up at that 
old attic window most any time out o' school hours. 
Emmeline bore it meek enough till it came to marryin' 
Philo Bean. She kep' on knittin' an' patchworkin' an' 
never went anywhere with other children. She never 



30 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

went to frolics or huskins or picnics. But when it came 
to Philo Bean, she up 'n' struck. 

Barby. Why was her father so anxious to have her 
marry this Mr. Bean, Mrs. Tucker? 

Mrs. T. Well, I ain't sure. I have heard it said that 
Philo had some land Sylvanus wanted an' was willin' to 
trade Emmeline for it, but I never took any stock in 
that. I expec' 'twas just contrariness. 

Mary. What was the matter with Philo, Mrs. Tucker, 
that Emmeline didn't want to marry him? 

Mrs. T. Well, I guess the matter was he was Philo 
Bean. Emmeline was smart and Philo warn't a scholar. 
Emmeline had a great reverence for learnin'. They said 
it broke her heart because she couldn't attend the 
Academy over to Silsbee. 

Mary (aside). Just like the poor little Horned Owl! 

Jess. Thank you ever so much, Mrs. Tucker; we've 
got the Emmeline story, now, Barby. 

Barby. But it's to be continued. There's another 
chapter. I wish I knew the other chapter. I'd like to 
know that Emmeline's father was sorry clear down to his 
boots. Wasn't he, don't you believe, Mrs. Tucker? 

Mrs. T. He never said so. He lived right on here 
alone for years and never mentioned Emmeline. Folks 
said he never tried to find out where she'd run to; and 
she never came back. 

Barby. But perhaps he loved her, down out of sight. 
Perhaps he missed her ; I wish I knew. 

Mrs. T. Well, mebbe he was sorry, mebbe, but he 
never let on. One day he had a shock an' died. Then 
they found out there wasn't any property but the old 
place, except just enough money to bury him with. Folks 
said they'd never had an idea Sylvanus was poor. They 
thought he must have had to scrimp himself for a good 
spell back. It kind o' softened 'em up towards Sylvanus. 
(Rises.) Well, I mustn't stay another minute; Johnnie- 
Son's kind of ailing to-day. He seems to be took just 
about as Jennie Brett was, feverish like. If he gits any 
worse I'm goin' to send for the doctor. I don't believe in 
foolin' with sickness. He was asleep when I come over 
here an' his father was settin' with him. I just run over 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 3 1 

to fetch ye a couple o' pies for your supper. I been 
bakin' an' thought you'd like 'em. Oh, by the way, Bar- 
bara, if you want to know more about Emmeline, seems 
to me I riccollec' seein' a box o' books stowed away in 
the attic under the eaves and in among 'em an old diary 
or suthin' that belonged to Emmeline. 

Barby. Oh, Mrs. Tucker, I'll go right up and look 
for it. [Exit. 

Salome (going to door with Mrs. T.). I hope John- 
nie-Son will be all right in the morning — thank you so 
much for the pies, Mrs. Tucker. There's nobody can 
make such pies as you can. [Both exit. 

Mary (to Jess). Ugh! I don't see how you and 
Barby can rummage about in that stuffy old attic and 
poke into all those shadowy corners. 

Judy. Nor I, Jess. It's such a musty, dusty, spidery 
place ! And I just know there are mice there. 

Mary. Let's go over and see how Jennie Brett is? 
Do you know they haven't had the doctor yet? Her 
mother said she'd got the boy all spoke to, to harness 
the horse, to go to Silsbee, to get him 

Judy. Sounds like the House that Jack Built ! 

Mary. An' then, it seemed as if right that minute 
Jennie picked up, so she's never had him at all. All the 
neighbors have been to look at her, but nobody seems to 
know what she's got. Aren't you coming, Jess? 

Jess. No, I'll stay and help Barby look for the diary. 
(Judy and Mary exit; Jess looks at Emmeline's pic- 
ture.) Poor little Emmeline, I don't blame you for run- 
ning away ! Just imagine having to stay up in that creepy 
old attic sewing and knitting and working samplers and 
things. 

Enter Barbara with diary. 

Barby. Oh, Jess, I've found it! There really is a 
diary ! 

Jess. Oh, Barby, I'm so glad; now we shall know if 
poor little Emmeline minded so very much. 

Barby (sits down, Jess on the arm of her chair; reads). 
"April 9, 1866 — finished the log cabin to-day. April 10, 
1866 — began on the rising sun. April 12, 1866 — heeled 



3 2 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 



stockings and hemmed a sheet and sewed on rising sun." 
Quilts ! Jess ! Haven't you heard of Rising Sun quilts 
and Log Cabin ones? I have. I told you Emmeline 
made all those quilts in the chest. And she heeled stock- 
ings and hemmed sheets besides — poor Emmeline ! 

Jess {looking over Barby's shoulder). Good, she had 
a nice time once, anyway. See here, Barby — oh — "June 
i j — Almost went to a picnic." She almost went — oh, 
Barby! (Jess walks away.) 

Barby. Jess, come here this minute. There! read 
that. What do you say to that? It must be a hidden 
treasure {Gets up excitedly.) 

Jess. We've found it, Barby Wetherell ! 

(Jess waltzes Barby into the middle of the room.) 

Barby. Hush, do ! Do you want to tell everybody 
in Fidelity? It's our find; we must keep it secret till 
we've 

Jess. I know ! I know ! In the middle of the night. 
To-night, Barby! 

Barby. Of course, to-night, goosie. As if we could 
wait ! When everybody is asleep and it's nice and pitchy 
and black — that's the time, Jess. We'll have a lantern 
and a shovel all ready. 

Jess. Shovels. You needn't think I'm not going to be 
in it. Ur-r-r ! Doesn't it make the creepy shivers go up 
and down your back ? 

Barby. Wait till to-night for those. {Reads.) 
" Under horse-chestnut — two paces toward the setting 
sun, one pace to the left, two feet down." 

Jess. That's where he buried it. He was a miser. 
He died in his misery. Judy'd make a pun out of it — 
miser-y. Then years and years and years after, the 
scarlet fever broke out in Barrie 

Barby. And we broke out in Fidelity. Go on. 

Jess. And dug it up ! In the dead o' night — with a • 
lantern and two shovels. And the gho-ost of Sylvanus 
Cody looked over our shoulders and laid its clammy 

{Reaching hand out toward Barby.) 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 33 

Barby. Hush, for mercy's sake, Jessica Thayer! If 
you say any more, you can go out there and dig it up 
alone, all by yourself. 

Jess (teeth chattering). I wouldn't for the world. I 
know I shall faint away as it is. Won't it be perfectly, 
deliciously awful, Barby? 

Enter Barnaby. 

Barby. But how do you suppose Emmeline found out 
about it, and why didn't she come for it? 

Barny. Johnnie-Son can't come out. His mother 
says, " Run away, Barny ; Johnnie's got the scarlet fever." 
The doctor man's in there. I saw his horse at the gate. 

Jess. Not scarlet fever! Don't say it's that, oh, 
Barby ! 

CURTAIN 



SCENE II. — Same as Scene I. Time, same day, mid- 
night. Stage darkened. 

Jess (in half -whisper). Come on down, everybody's 
asleep. 

Barby. Wait a minute, are you sure they are? 
Jess. Yes, but skip the third stair ; it creaks awfully. 

Enter Barby. 

Barby. It's a good thing we left our boots down here. 

Jess. Oh, I've got your boots on, Barby Wetherell ! 
and they pinch my toes — ow ! 

Barby. Sh ! 

Jess. I've bumped my head on something, ow! I've 
bumped it again ! 

Barby. Sh! I tell you! 

Jess. How can I sh ! when I can't see a single thing ? 
There, what did I tell you ? I 've put my hand in the rose 
bowl ! Oh, I never saw such wet water, and I've tipped 
it over ! 



34- CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Barby. Can't you stop talking, Jess Thayer? If you 
utter another word, I'll go back to bed. 

Jess. How the boards creak ! 

Barby. Where's the lantern? 

Jess. On the table. 

Barby. We must be near the table now. 

Jess. On the kitchen table, goose ! 

Barby. I just felt Judy's calendar on the wall. I 
don't know whether I'm going away from it or toward it. 

(Knocks picture on floor.) 

Jess. Plain Mary'll know it's burglars. 

Barby. It's Emmeline ! I've broken Emmeline ! 
Come on out now ; I'm in the kitchen. 

Jess. I'm in the closet and I can't get out. 

Barby (coming in with lantern). Come here, Smarty. 
I'll help you out. The shovel's leaning up against the 
house, under the kitchen window. 

Jess. I'll get it. — There's only one ! 

Barby. I know it. I'm going to take the frying-pan. 
I couldn't find but one shovel. Which way shall we go 
to get to the horse-chestnut tree ? 

Jess. I'm sure I don't know in the night. I know 
which way in the daytime. 

Barby. Well, I'm going to find it ; don't step but half 
your weight. 

Jess. Forward, march. 

Barby. Turn the lantern toward you, Jess ; hide it in 
your skirt. Somebody'll see it. We mustn't use it till 
we have to. [Exit both. 

Jess (outside). All right; you'll have to feel the way 
then; my feelers won't go. Perhaps you can inform me 
where we are now. 

Barby. We're on the grass — it feels soft. I think 
we're going due — due 

Jess. Dew ! I should say so ! My feet are sopping 
wet. Oh, Barby, I'm wet all over; I'm in the brook. 
Save me! Oh, no, don't save me — it isn't worth the 
trouble ! I beg of you let me drown ! There, I'm out and 
so is the lantern. 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 35 

Reenter Barby. 

Barby. Come on in and get some more matches. 
(Enter Jess.) Oh, Jess, what have you done? 

Jess. I didn't mean to fall in the water. Scold the 
brook. Maybe you think I was taking a bath. 

Barby. Come along, dear, do, never mind a little thing 
like that. We have the lantern. I'll light up. I've got 
the matches. 

Jess. How did you ever find them? I don't know 
whether I'm shivering because I'm cold or because I'm 
scared. 

Barby. Scared — I'm shivering too, see. Where are 
you, Jess? (Barby bumps into table which sends her 
against Jess ; they fall over each other. Barby on the 
floor.) Let's sit down a minute and think it over. That's 
a joke, Jess. I thought it might cheer you up. 

Jess (on floor). Up! I don't feel as if I should ever 
be up again. You will have to light the lantern if you 
expect me to see the joke. 

Barby. Well, here's a match ; light up, Jess. 

Jess. Where ? 

Barby. Here. 

Jess. Barby Wetherell, where's here? 

Barby. For mercy's sake, give me that lantern, Jess 
Thayer. 

Jess. All right, here it is. 

Barby. Where ? 

Jess. Here. 

(They bump together again. Barby takes lantern, lights 
it.) 

Barby. There ! At last ! Come on, Jess. 
Jess (taking Barby's arm). Two paces toward the 
setting sun ! 
Barby. One pace to the left ! 
Jess. Two feet down ! [Exit both. 

Enter Plain Mary and Judy. 

Judy. Are you sure there was a crash ? I believe you 
dreamed it. 



36 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Mary. Well, I did not. There was a crash ! I waited 
a long time and I distinctly heard another, too, and people 
moving about, so now. 

Judy. Let's call Barby and Jess. 

Mary. No, let's investigate first. They'll make fun 
of us, if there isn't anything. It's burglars, I'm sure. 
Oh, Judy, go out in the kitchen and scare them away. 
Oh, if you'd only brought your pistol ! 

Judy. Sh! It wasn't a pistol. It was — oh, where is 
that paper bag? The one that had the crackers in it. I 
thought it was on this table. 

Mary. Judy Wetherell, you're not going to eat a 
luncheon right in the jaws of death ! 

Judy. No, I'm not. I'm going to fire a pistol, if I can 
find that bag. I've found it. 

Mary. Be careful, Judy ! Oh, — I'm so frightened ! 

Judy {goes to kitchen and bangs the bag). There was 
a hole in it. It wouldn't scare a mosquito. 

Mary. A hole in what ? 

Judy. The pistol — the bag, I mean. You stay here, 
dear. I'm going up-stairs for Barby and Jess. 

Mary. Oh, no ! Let me go, Judy ! Let's both go ! 

Judy. No, I'll stay. Run along, only hurry. 

{Exit Mary; immediately returns.) 

Mary. They're gone ! 

Judy. Who's gone? 

Mary. Barby and Jess. They were the burglars. 

Judy. Let's go and find them. Where in the world 
can they be? Barby never walked in her sleep, anyway. 
It isn't a Wetherell feat. 

Mary. I suppose that's a pun and you want me to 
laugh, but I don't feel equal to it. It's all I can do to 
attend to my own feet. (Judy lights lamp. Mary dis- 
covers picture on floor.) There's the crash! Now did 
I dream it? Did I? 

Judy. If you did, you must have dreamed awfully 
hard. {Looks out of windoiv.) My goodness! 

Mary. What in the world ! 

Judy. I believe it's the girls up to some mischief. 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 37 

They looked awfully wise at supper time. I don't know 
what you're going to do — I'm going out there. I'm going 
to take the lamp. 

Mary. Then I don't see but what I've got to go, too. 
I don't fancy standing here in the pitch dark. It'll flicker 
like everything, Judy. 

Judy. There isn't any wind ; come on. [Exit both. 

Enter Salome carrying a candle. 

Salome. What on earth is happening to-night ! Where 
are those girls! Just look at this room. Here are the 
flowers all upset, and Emmeline's picture on the floor. 
(Goes to window.) There! they're out there under the 
trees ! What can they be up to ? Well, I guess I'll stay 
here. I won't interfere. It's some schoolgirl prank. 
Why, they've got a lantern and a lamp. Jess appears 
to be digging — I think it's Jess, and Judy, too. I'll get 
some hot cocoa ready for them. They'll be cold when 
they come in. (Busies herself getting cocoa ready.) Oh! 
how glad I am I gave up the vacation school ! What is 
there that is quite so dear and funny as a crowd of girls ? 
(Looks out again.) I think they are coming now. Why, 
they've got something that looks like a big kettle. 

(Goes into kitchen.) 

Enter the four girls. 

Judy. How could we ever wait to get into the house 
before we opened it? 

Jess. What is in it? Oh, hurry. Why, it's light in 
here. Cousin Salome must have been here. 

Mary. Oh, do somebody get something to pry off the 
cover. 

Barby. Oh, it's full of gold, I'm sure! And when 
the cover comes off the gold will all pour out in shining 
handfuls. 

Judy. And we'll all fall on our knees and gather it up 
in shining handfuls. 

Barby. And the ghost of Sylvanus Cody — — 

Jess. Here's a screw-driver ; let's pry it up. Here, let 
me get at it ; I've got the implement. 



38 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Judy. Heave ho ! 

Barby. Let Mary open it; it's her right; she discov- 
ered it. 

Mary. No, no, let Judy. I only uncovered it. 
Judy. Barby and Jess began it. (Opening kettle.) 

(Cousin Salome enters and stands behind the girls as 
cover is lifted.) 

Salome. Why, it's a little old doll, a dear little dead 
doll. 

Barby. Emmeline's, of course! We ought to have 
known it was something of hers. 

Judy. A little old doll ! 

Mary. Wait, there's something written — there's an 
inscription on the little tomb. 

Barby (reads). "Here Lies the prinsess Esther who 
pined away of a broken hart because they would not let 
her mother Love her — they said she was too old. When 
her mother was seven years old she died — I mean the 
prinsess Esther did — and hear lies. She was grately be- 
loved. It broke her mother's hart too. She never sinned. 
She was a Darling. And she was not for God took her. 
Her works do follow her." 

Judy. Poor Emmeline ! 

Mary. Poor little Princess Esther ! 

Salome. Her mother's heart broke too. It was her 
mother's heart suffered most. 

Barby. And it's her mother's " works " that do fol- 
low her. 

Salome. Come, girls, I've made cocoa. I 'm going to 
toast you and warm you and put you all to bed. 

(The girls help themselves to cocoa. Salome goes out.) 

Barby. She was young once. But seven years old 
was early to grow old. Isn't this cocoa good? 

Mary. It's nice to warm your hands on. And I am 
so cold, I believe I'm shivering! 

Barby (goes to sit in chair near broken picture. Picks 
it up and finds bank book). Why! Why, come here, 
quick! Why, I've found something. Come quick! 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 39 

Won't somebody look! I tell you I've found a bank 
book behind Emmeline. 

Judy. A bank book ! Barby Wetherell, are you crazy ? 

Barby. What do you call that? 

Mary. What in the world ! 

Judy. I call it a bank book! It ought to be one. 
Open it quick, Barby, quick! If there isn't anything in 
it, I'll never forgive you as long as I live. 

Barby. There is something in it. 

Jess. Call Cousin Salome before we look. Cousin 
Salome ! 

(Cousin Salome from outside.) 

Salome (calls). What is it? 

Jess. Emmeline's found a bank book in Barby's pic- 
ture — I mean — oh — come here quick. 

Salome (enters). What has happened now! This is 
the greatest place for things to happen, or else you are 
the greatest girls. I shan't be surprised at anything. 

Judy. Not at a bank book in Emmeline's picture? 
It must have been between the picture and the back. 
Barby found it. 

Mary. We wanted you to be here when we opened it. 
Oh, supposing it is a fortune ! 

Jess. Open it, Barby, open it! 

Barby (opening book reads). " Sylvanus Cody, in 
trust for Emmeline Jane Cody." 

Mary (over Barby's shoulder, looks at book). He 
has never taken any out. 

Judy. It seems a queer place to keep a bank book, 
doesn't it, in a picture? 

Salome. I think it must have been sentiment. The 
picture was all the Emmeline he had left. 

Barby. Then he was sorry ! 

Mary. Perhaps he loved her ! 

Jess. He saved money for her anyway. There it is 
in black and white. 

Judy. Seven hundred and eighty-one dollars and 
thirty-three cents. 

Salome. I wonder 

Barby. What do you wonder, Cousin Salome ? 



40 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Salome. I wonder if my little Horned Owl can pos- 
sibly have anything to do with the story ! 

Barby. Why, Cousin Salome, you don't think 

Salome. No, Barby, I don't really think so — it would 
be such a strange coincidence. But the resemblance is 
very striking and I can't help thinking how much this 
money would do for her. 

Barby. Oh, Cousin Salome, do write to-morrow and 
find out 

Judy. But of course she couldn't be Emmeline. She 
would have to be Emmeline's little Emmeline. 

Barby. Why, of course — we never thought of that. 
What geese we are ! 

Salome. Well, girls, we mustn't sit here talking an- 
other minute. What kind of a chaperon am I ? Go right 
back to your beds every one of you and get what sleep 
you can. 

Judy. What shall we do with the Princess Esther, 
Cousin Salome? 

Barby. Let's lay her away in the chest of quilts in 
the attic. Emmeline's Emmeline might come. She 
would be glad to see the Princess Esther 

Mary. If Aunt Elizabeth were here, I should think I 
was going to be sick ; but she isn't, so, of course, I'm not. 

(Mary faints.) 

Salome. Get some water quick. 

(Judy goes.) 

Jess. Oh, Cousin Salome, what is it? 

Salome. I don't know what it is. I hope it's just 
tiredness. 

Judy (coming back with a glass of water). Oh, Cousin 
Salome, you don't think it's the — the scar 

Barby. Don't you dare to say it, Judy Wetherell. 

Salome (to Mary). There, dear, you're all right now, 
aren't you ? 

Mary. Oh, I don't know. I had an Aunt Elizabeth 
once. She used to tell me to wear my rubbers. She was 
very particular about my rubbers. I suppose that was 
why she never had time to love me. 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 4I 

Salome. Girls, we must get her to bed at once. Don't 
anybody dare to worry. What we need first is a doctor. 

Mary. Don't send for Miss Angelia's. He makes 
people sick. 

CURTAIN 



ACT IV 
SCENE I. — Same as Act III. Time, six weeks later. 

Enter Judy and Jess in costume for the play. They 
art carrying stage properties, picnic baskets and 
wraps. 

Judy (calls at door to Barby in kitchen). Hurry, 
Barby, if we're going to rehearse the play before Miss 
Angelia sees it. 

Jess. Oh, won't Miss Angelia be surprised! 

Enter Plain Mary. 

Mary. Oh, isn't it glorious, when you've had the 
scarlet fever and are all over it and getting strong again, 
just to be alive ! 

Jess. You poor dear, of course it is. I feel so selfish 
whenever I think how sick you were and the rest of us 
hardly sick at all. 

Mary. Oh, I don't mind it a bit, now it's over; and 
poor Cousin Salome couldn't have stood it if you'd all 
been as sick as I was. I'll never forget all that dreadful 
time when I thought I was turning into a Barnaby, a poor 
Barnaby-Ought-to-be-Rudge. 

Jess. And you begged somebody to bring you a look- 
ing-glass so you could see your face. You kept saying 
over and over that you were Plain Mary but you'd turned 
into a Barnaby, Judy's Barnaby Rudge. 

Judy. Oh, it was awful! Don't let's talk about it. 
I'm so glad somebody thought of giving the play as a 
surprise for Miss Angelia 's birthday. It's three days 
since Cousin Salome went away on that mysterious busi- 
ness trip and she expected to be back last night. 

Jess. Camp Fidelity doesn't seem like the same place 
without Cousin Salome. Of course, Plain Mary, we have 
your Aunt Elizabeth and we couldn't get along without 
her, but it's dreadful to be Cousin Salomeless. 

4* 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 43 

Enter Aunt Elizabeth. 

Aunt E. Mary, here are your rubbers, and I think 
you had better put them on. The ground may be a little 
damp; you know it rained day before yesterday. 

Mary. Thank you, Aunt Elizabeth; I'll take them 
with me, and if it seems even a teeny bit damp, I'll put 
them on. 

Aunt E. You'd better have a wrap with you, for it 
may come up cold before we get back, and I want to take 
you safely home to your father. He'd never forgive me 
if I let you get the least mite of cold. I'll get my shawl. 

[Exit. 

Mary. Thank you, my dear, you are so thoughtful. 
Oh, girls, what should I have done without her, she has 
been so kind. I'd wear a feather-bed for Aunt Elizabeth 
now. 

Enter Jennie Brett in costume of the Queen's sister, 

Jennie. I hope I ain't late. Mis' Tucker called me in 
to ask if Mis' Angelia had found out about the play and 
the lunch. She sent over some pies by Johnnie-Son and 
of course Barnaby came with him. 

Judy. Did Barby put them in the lunch basket? The 
pies, I mean. What were they? 

Jennie. I left them outside the house. The boys, I 
mean. The pies were strawberry and green apple. 

Enter Aunt Elizabeth. 

Aunt E. I couldn't find my shawl. Does anyone 
know where it is? 

Mary. Why, yes, Aunt Elizabeth, you brought it out 
to me last night when I was sitting in the hammock. It's 
probably there now. I forgot. I'll look as soon as the 
rehearsal is over. 

Jess. Barby, aren't you most ready? 

Barby {outside). Almost; go ahead. I'll be there 
when it's time for my part. 

Mary. Aunt Elizabeth will have to make the an- 
nouncements and act as prompter since Cousin Salome 
isn't here. 



44 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Jess. Prompter! we shan't need any prompting! 

Mary. Speak for yourself, Jess ! 

Judy. Now then, girls, take your places. In the words 
of the immortal Quince, " Here's a marvelous convenient 
place for our rehearsal. This room shall be our stage, 
the kitchen our tiring-house " and we will do it in action 
as we will do it before Miss Angelia, on her birthday. 

Mary. Well, anyhow, if I hadn't been sick and needed 
to be amused, Barby would never have written the lamen- 
table comedy " Oil from the Deeja's Tail." 

Judy. Come, sit down, every mother's son, and re- 
hearse your parts. Now, Aunt Elizabeth. 

(Aunt Elizabeth stands at one side and reads the cast 
of characters and description of scenes.) 

OIL FROM THE DEEJA'S TAIL 

The Queen Judy Wetherell 

The Princess Enid Mary Shepherd 

The Queen's Sister Jennie Brett 

The Wizard Jessica Thayer 

The Prince Jessica Thayer 

The Deeja Barbara Wetherell 

ACT I. — Scene. — Room in the Palace. The Princess 
discovered lying on a sofa. She is very pale and looks 
ill. The Queen appears "worried. She sits near. 
The Sister more placid but is also anxious. She 
stands back of sofa. 

Queen. Alas, my dear, you feel no better, yet? 
Princess. No, no, my mother, perchance you do for- 
get, 
The wizard bold who comes from o'er the 
hills. 
The Sister. He'll only bring some charms, he gives 
no other pills. 

Queen. Ah, well ! a charm, perhaps, is what we need. 
Princess. A charming Prince is what I want, indeed, 
There is a Prince I fain would wed to- 
morrow. 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 



45 



Queen. Then die next day and cause him deadly 
sorrow. 

The Sister. Here comes the Wizard. I will leave 
you here. 
See that you get some potent herb, my 
dear. 

(Exit Sister; enter Wizard.) 

Wizard. You sent for me ? 
Queen. Yes, yes, the princess here 

Has some strange malady. 'Tis very queer. 
Wizard. Be not alarmed, I soon will set her right. 
If not this eve, why then some other night. 
But let me hear about this sickness straight, 
And I will warrant it will soon abate. 
Princess (feebly). I fear I'm done for, here's a pain, 
and here ; 

Sometimes in that great toe, again, this ear. 
Wizard. 'Tis easy to be seen, and yet the cure 

Is not so easy, if I could be sure 

Oh, do not hesitate at anything ! 



Queen. 
Wizard 



Ah, my dear madam, if you could but bring 
One drop of oil from off the Deeja's tail 
'Twould bring the color to the cheek so pale ; 
But recollect, the Deeja is a beast 
That habits first the North, the West, the 

East. 
He's in the water, or in darksome places, 
Is rarely ever seen by mortal faces. 
There is a way to catch him and one only ; 
If any Prince there be who is so lonely, 
So pining for one Princess that at night 
He only walks and sighs, so bad his plight, 
And groans and cries, the Deeja always 

hears 
And soon or late unto the Prince appears ; 
But if the Prince is wailing just to catch 

him, 
It would be better that you do not fetch him. 
The Deeja eats all such and spares not one; 
And to be ate by Deejas is not fun. 



46 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 



Enter the Sister. 

The Sister. Out by the gate there sobs and sighs a 
man. 
Oh, will you come and see him if you 

can. 
He wants to be admitted and he said 
That for the love of Enid he is dead. 
Wizard. 'Tis he who can the fearful Deeja kill. 
Don't let him go, he is the one who will 
Our lovely maid deliver. I will see him. 
He'll go for love, you will not have to fee 

him. 

The Princess' life lies but within his power; 

And by her looks, send him within the hour. 

Princess. What is his name ? I feel much better now ; 

It is my own dear lover Prince, I'll vow ! 

Kind Heaven, look down upon this happy 

maid 
And send the Prince to be mine earthly 
aid! 

ACT II. — Scene.- — A lonesome place, in a dark wood. 
The Prince discovered. 



Prince. List to the wind, it howls and groans and 
roars ; 

The sword of winter's breath is keen and 
chill. 

Oh, Enid, Enid, if I fight and die, 

No cure will ever work on your great ill ! 

What noise was that ! That washy, swash- 
ing souse, 

That splash like rain upon an upturned can? 

This awful eerie place doth rack my nerves. 

Have I forgotten that I am a man ? 

Here comes the beast, in Enid's name, I'll 
meet him, 

And if my luck is right, I know I'll beat him. 

(Deeja comes crawling in on all fours.') 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 



47 



Deeja. Whence came you, Tree von poodle ching 
chee stumps ? 
I'll pound you into ichka dayda lumps 
Mellie vin meet min abo, bis von sponge, 
I guess I '11 have you for my midday lunch 

(A conflict; the Deeja rolls over.) 

Deeja. I'm done for, Choo chee here I go, 

Upon you, vermin, be all kinds of woe. 
Prince. He's dead : now will I hack for love of thee. 

(Prince cuts off Deeja's tail with his sword.) 

Fond Princess, by this tail thou'rt pledged 
to me! 

ACT III. — Scene. — Room in the palace. 

Princess (alone). Why comes he not? Alas, he may 
be dead. 
Sit still, my little heart, don't whirl so, head. 
What do I see? Can I believe aright? 
The Prince, the Prince dawns on my sight. 
Prince (entering hastily, kneels on one knee). Drink 
quickly, oh, my love, my own dear one, 
Our happy days together have begun. 
You're cured, the sky is blue, the Deeja 

killed ! 
I think this day by heaven was surely willed. 

(Play ends.) 

(NOTE. — The little comedy should be given in ex- 
travagant style. The costumes may be made from 
old draperies and lace curtains. The Deeja may 
wear black tights or bloomers and has a fur rug or 
coat wrapped around him. He may wear a fur or 
close fitting worsted cap. He is an imaginary crea- 
ture. ) 

(All applaud as the play ends. Girls gather up baskets, 
etc.) 



48 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Aunt E. Now, girls, if we're ready to start, some 
of you see if the windows are locked and 

Barby. We don't need to. Johnnie-Son and Barnaby 
are just outside. They're going to stay right here and 
be the care-takers; and if Cousin Salome or anyone 
should come, I told them they would find us at Miss 
Angelia's. (Barby picks up violin.) 

Jess. Oh, Barby, you 're not going to take your violin ! 

Barby. No, my dear, I'll spare your feelings this 
once. I'm going to let Barny take it. He loves it so and 
is very careful. He won't have much more time to play 
on it, we're going home so soon. 

Jess. Well, what are we waiting for? If everybody 
is ready, I move we start. 

Judy. Second the motion. 

Aunt E. Are you sure you don't need some wraps ? 

{All go out, Jess last.) 

Jess. Why, Aunt Elizabeth, it must be nearly eighty; 
how can we need them? 

CURTAIN 



SCENE II. — Same as previous scene. Time — A half- 
hour later. 

(Barnaby is discovered sitting on a low stool with 
Barby's violin on his knees. Johnnie-Son sits be- 
side him. Their faces are on a level.) 

Barny. Johnnie, bimeby somethin' will happen! 

J. S. Hoh — Chris'mus! 

Barny. Guess again. 

J. S. I don't wanter. It tires me. When you've had 
the scarlit fever it tires you to guess again. 

Barny. Then I'll tell. I'm goin' to saw, Johnnie! 

J. S. Barny Cam'ell ! Honest? On her violin? She 
say you might? 

Barny. She said if you'll saw easy, Barny. I'm goin' 
to saw easy. 

J. S. When you goin' to begin? 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 



49 



Barny. Oh, some time. 

J. S. Say, Barny. They said for us to take care o' 
this house while they were gone, Barny! Barny, you 
hear? 

Barny (trotting violin dreamily). Yes, Johnnie. 

J. S. Well, s'posin' — oh, s'posin' it was to catch fire! 

Barny. Goodness, Johnnie, then we'd burn up ! 

J. S. Huh, we'd have to put it out — sprinkle water on 
like everything. We couldn't let it burn up while we 
were takin' care of it. That's what takin' care means. 

Barny. Does it? You know an awful lot, don't you, 
Johnnie ? 

J. S. Consid'able. I 'spect I was born so — same as 
you wasn't, Barny. Oh, s'posin' a buggler came to this 
house while we were takin' care of it ! What'd we do 
then? 

Barny. Run. 

J. S. And let him stay here an' buggle! You're a 
great takecarer, ain't you ? No, sir, we'd — we'd fix him ! 
Just let him try to buggle, if he dared ! 

Barny. Yes, sir, we'd fix him ! How'd we do it, 
Johnnie ? 

J. S. O-oh, there's ways. (Johnnie goes over and 
looks out window. Barny takes out violin and starts to 
play and stops.) Goon. Why don't you go on ? 

Barny. I can't — it's gone. Why don't it stay, 
Johnnie ? 

J. S. Gracious, it would if you kept on a-sawin'! 
There comes a man a-walkin', Barny — he's a spandy new 
man ; he's comin' here. 

Enter Uncle Jeff. 

Jeff. Isn't this where four young ladies live? 

J. S. No, sir; they've gone to a pignig. 

Jeff. But they live here when they get home, do 
they? Then that's all right. I was sure this was the place. 
I'll wait for them. I suppose they were not expecting 
me? 

J. S. (edging away from the suit-case). No — oh, no! 

Jeff. Will they come home soon? 

Barny. It's a eat pignig. 



50 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Jeff. Oh, it is, eh? Well, that's the kind of a picnic 
I'd like myself. I think I'll go into the pantry and help 
myself. I suppose you don't happen to know where the 
four young ladies keep their pie? (Enters pantry.) 

Barny. I'll go and see. 

J. S. (pulling him back). Sh, Barny! stop a-talkin', 
and stay right here. Let him go if he wants to — I know 
a way to fix him. I'm goin' to hide this bag in the lilac 
bushes. Prob'ly it's where he carries his pistols and 
screw-drivers an' his mask. Run around to the back of 
the house an' peek in the pantry window — quick, Barny ! 
When you see him bitin' into somethin', go into the 
kitchen quick and bolt the pantry door. If he's eatin' 
pie, he won't notice nothin' and he won't stop till he's 
eat the whole of it. My mother made it. Now go ! 

(Johnnie seises bag and runs outdoors with it, then 
comes back and stealthily closes door into pantry, 
bolts it and moves table against the door.) 

Barny (enters). He's bit, Johnnie! 

J. S. Quick, Barny, quick — help me get this table up 
here. Now get up top of it — there! Did you bolt the 
door? 

Barny. Course I did. Didn't you tell me to, Johnnie ? 

J. S. Don't you get down till I come back, Barny — 
don't you dare to move ! You sit right there, up against 
that door ! I'm goin' for the girls. [Exit. 

Barny (on the table). I'm a-sittin', Johnnie. 

Jeff. Hullo ! — Hello, there ! 

Barny. Hollo—it's me. I'm Barny. 

Jeff. Well, open the door, my friend, will you ? 

Barny. I can't- — there's a table up 'gainst it. 

Jeff. Heavens and earth, man, move the table, can't 
you? 

Barny. I'm on top of it. I can't move myself on 
top of a table. 

Jeff. Great Scott ! Can't you get off the top of the 
table? 

Barny. Johnnie said not to. He said to set here 
till ! 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 5 1 

Jeff. Never mind Johnnie. Just open this door, will 
you, Friend Barny? 

Barny. I can't. I said I was on top of the table. 
I'm goin' to stay on top till Johnnie comes back ; Johnnie 
said to. He doesn't want the door to be opened. 

Jeff. Oh, he doesn't. Well, can you get me a match 
out there? 

Barny. I'm on top o' the 

Jeff. Confound it, isn't the match box, too? Look 
and see. 

Barny. Yes, here 'tis. What do you want of it ? 

Jeff. I want a match, man alive ! 

Barny. What do you want of a m ? 

Jeff. Conform I want a light. 

Barny. Well, I've lit one. It's a-burnin' my ringers 
— Ow! 

Jeff. Heavens and earth, pass me a match through 
the keyhole, will you? 

Barny. It's out — I've blew it out. You want me to 
pass a burnt one through the — there isn't any keyhole! 
What's that? You ain't doin' nothin', be ye? 

Jeff. Bless you, no — no, indeed ! I'm only sitting 
down in the flour barrel — er — to rest. The way in was 
short enough, but it seems to be a roundabout way out. 
Don't let any little — er — disturbance I make alarm you, 
my friend. 

Barny (listening). You out? 

Enter Judy, Jess, Barby and Johnnie. 

J. S. He can't get out ! Barny's top o' the table hold- 
ing the door. Come along. 

Judy. Where is he? Oh, dear, what shall we do? 

J. S. He's in the pantry. He's ate up your pies, but 
I've got him, yes, sir! And I've hidden his pistols and 
things. I did it all myself. Barny never did a thing but 
sit on top. 

Jess. On top of the — of him, Johnnie-Son? 

J. S. On top of the table, of course. I told him to stay 
top of it till we got here. What are you going to do? 
I should think you might do something when I've did 
everything else. 



52 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

Judy. We're going to wait until Aunt Elizabeth and 
Plain Mary get here and then we're going to deal with 
him. 

Barby. I suppose it's a tramp. Did he want some- 
thing to eat, Johnnie-Son? 

J. S. Gracious, yes! Then he walked right into the 
pantry and ated it. He wanted to know where you kept 
your pies. 

Judy. Those lovely pies ! 

Enter Aunt Elizabeth and Plain Mary. 

Aunt E. Tell the whole of it, Johnnie-Son. I didn't 
just understand. 

J. S. Well, there was a man come a-walkin' and he 
had a bag o' pistols and screw-drivers to break into 

things with 



Judy. Our pies don't need to be broken into like that 
— the idea ! 

Jess. Do hush, will you, Judy ! Go on, Johnnie-Son. 
While we're delaying he may be in the — flour barrel, or 
something. 

Barny. Pie is— he is; he said he was sitting down 
in it to rest. I guess he's asleep now. 

Aunt E. The dreadful creature is probably intoxi- 
cated. 

J. S. And he came a-walkin'. Well, I shut the pantry 
door up and there he was. Barny bolted the door into 
the kitchen while I was shuttin' this. He'd got the pie 
most aten' up. 

Barby. But what in the world shall we do with him 
when we unlock him ? 

Judy. Charge him twenty-five cents for that pie. If 
it was the strawberry one, he's got to pay half a dollar! 

J. S. You can shoot him — I'll get the bag o' pistols. 
Just a little easy, you know. Then we'll tie him together 
and take him to jail. You can get down now, Barny. 

Judy. Wait a minute — not just yet. I — I want to — 
parley with the gentle— the tramp — first. Are you in 
there ? 

Jeff {in disguised voice). Me, mum? I was in here, 
mum, but 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 53 

Judy. Do you want to come out ? 

Jeff. Oh, no, mum! What put such a thought into 
the kind lady's mind ? I am that comfortable I 

Judy. Because, if you do, you've got to promise to 
pay for that pie. Was — was it the strawberry pie ? 

Jeff. It was a strawberry pie, mum — but now 

Judy. It is fifty cents then. Have — did you eat more 
than one? 

Jeff. Me, mum? She wants to know if I eat more 
than one ! Me eat more than one pie ! 

Judy. Because you will have to pay for them all. 
And any other damages 

Barny. He's upset the flour barrel. 

Judy. For upsetting the flour barrel, you promise to 
pay for it all before I open the door. 

Jeff. For value received I promise to pay. 

Judy. Get off the table, Barny. Now move it away. 
Now open 

Aunt E. No, Barny, wait a minute. You're sure 
you're not intoxicated? 

Jeff. Intoxicated? Why, mum, I was never intoxi- 
cated in my life ! 

Aunt E. If we open the door 

Jeff. Yes, mum 

Aunt E. You must promise not to come out. 

Jeff. Me come out ? She thinks I want to come out ! 
Me, that's that comfortable in the flour barrel 

Aunt E. Open it, Barny. 

Judy. One, two, three — ready ! 

Jess (darting into his arms). Uncle Jeff! Uncle 
Jeff! 

Jeff. If you please, mum, the strawberry pie was 
that tasty, mum 

J. S. He ain't a buggler, nor a tramp or anything. I 
s'posed we'd caught a buggler man, that's what I s'posed. 

Barny. But he's hunkier than a buggler, Johnnie. 
You think he's hunkier, don't you? I liked him through 
the door. 

J. S. I'll go get his ol' bag out o' the lilacs. I don't 
s'pose there's anything in it 'cept ole combs and brushes 
an' hank'chiefs. 



54 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

(All laugh; exit Johnnie-Son.) 

Jess. Uncle Jeff, how did you happen to come? 

Jeff. I wanted to see what you would say to having 
Camp Fidelity fitted up into a regular come-to-every-year 
place? 

Jess. Oh, Uncle Jeff, for all of us ? 

Jeff. For all of you and your father and mother and 
Judy's father and mother and the kiddies, and Aunt Eliza- 
berii and Cousin Salome and Plain Mary's father — what 
would you say to a thing like that ? 

Mary. Oh, think of having Fidelity for a stay-as- 
long-as-you-want-to-place ! To look at the mountains 
and listen to the brook and be regularly happy ! 

(Johnnie enters with suit-case, folloived by Barny.) 

J. S. Here's your bag — I hope you'll 'sense me for 
thinkin' you was a buggler — but you did eat the pie. 
They's somebody comin' up the road looks like Miss 
Salome. 

(Girls go to door follozved by Johnnie and Barny.) 

Aunt E. What dear girls they are, Jeff. I wonder 
if Salome has found her Little Horned Owl and if she 
can possibly be Emmeline. 

Jeff. Resemblances aren't much to depend upon. 
Still 

Enter Jess and Mary. 

Jess. Oh, Uncle Jeff — Uncle Jeff, Cousin Salome has 
found her ! 

Mary. And what do you think? She's Cousin Sa- 
lome's Little Horned Owl ! 

Aunt E. Begin at the beginning. Are you talking 
about Emmeline? 

Jess. Of course ! Cousin Salome had an inspiration 
in the dead of night, you know, and off she went after 
her Little Horned Owl. Only to think if it hadn't been 
Emmeline ! 



CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 55 

Enter Salome, Judy and Barby. They escort Salome 
to seat. 

Jeff. Well, Salome, where is she? I thought you 
were going to bring her back with you ! 

Salome. So I was, but I found my little Glory in the 
hospital. 

Mary. In a hospital ! Oh, Cousin Salome, she isn't 
going to die ! Say she isn 't going to die ! 

Salome. No, dear, though she has been very ill. . 

Barby. But how did you find out she was Emmeline ? 
Of course you asked her mother's name the first 
thing ? 

Salome. Yes, dear — and her grandfather's was Syl- 
vanus Cody. She was six years old when her mother 
died. She looks even more like the picture than I 
thought. She has the same eyes and hair 

Judy. And bank book ! 

Salome. When I told her about the bank book all 
she said was " Then I am going to school." 

Barby. Oh, Cousin Salome, with us to Hatton Hall ! 

Salome. Yes, Barby, as soon as she is strong enough. 

Mary. What a summer this has been ! It's almost 
time to say good-bye to Camp Fidelity. 

Jess. But then we are all coming back next year. 

Judy. And we have made so many friends, and Miss 
Angelia is going to get well — oh, she is a dear! Plain 
Mary, shall you ever forget her face when she struck 
and declared she wouldn't take any more medicine ? 

Mary. And the next-door soup you burned to a 
cinder ! 

Judy. And the noise you made keeping still ! 

Mary. Oh, those pans ! (All laugh.) 

Judy. I think I shall sit up all night. I know I shan't 
be able to sleep with the brook saying, " Good-bye-it's- 
all-over, good-bye-it's-all-over " in my ears. 

Jeff. Ho, listen again! You've hard of hearing, 
mum ; what it says is, " Come-again-come-again-next- 
summer, and bring-your-friends." 

Judy. Well, I will, thank you. If I thought I should 
never come back to Fidelity, I believe it. would break my 



56 CAMP FIDELITY GIRLS 

heart — crack it, anyway. I should like to think one 
Fidelity heart would crack too. 

J. S. Well, it will. Mine'll crack all to splinters if 
you don't come back. Yours will, too, won't it, Barny? 
Say " yes," why don't you ? 

Barny. Yes, if yours does, so'll mine, Johnnie, all to 
splinters. 

J. S. {creeps close up to Judy). When you come back, 
I'm going to marry you. 

Barny. I am, too. Ain't I, Johnnie? 



CURTAIN 



THE SLACKER 

A Patriotic Play in One Act 

By Jewell Bolhwell Tull 
Two male, seven female characters. Scene, an interior ; costumes, 
modern and military. Plays forty minutes. The hero, beyond the draft 
age, has not enlisted because he deems it to be his widowed mother's wish 
and his sweetheart's preference, ns well as his own duty not to do so. He 
tries on the uniform of a friend who is going, "just to be in it once," and 
being discovered, finds to his surprise that both his mother and his fiancee 
have been miserable under the charge that he is a " slacker " and are re- 
joiced to have him make good. Picturesque, patriotic, dramatic— -an ideal 
play for a Red Cross Entertainment. Strongly recommended. 
Price, 2J cents 

CHARACTERS 
Grant Moore. Mrs. Smith, his mother. 

Mrs. Moore, his mother. Ella Brown, his sweetheart. 

Betty Caldwell, his fiancee. Mrs. Ralph. 
Benny Smith, a young lieu- Mrs. Elton. 
tenant. Mrs. Jones. 

Other ladies and girls of the Marsville Red Cross Society. 

A ROMANCE IN PORCELAIN 

A Comedy in One Act 
By Rudolph Raphael 
Three males, one female. Scene, an interior ; costumes, modern. 
Plays twenty minutes. Cecilia and Clarence, engaged to marry, resort to 
Dr. Spencer before the knot is tied to secure a new upper set. Their troub- 
les in concealing their errand from each other reach a climax when both 
sets are stolen and the truth has to come out. Very funny and heartily 
recommended. Price, 25 cents 

A PROFESSIONAL VISIT 

A Comedy in One Act 

Hy Rudolph Raphael 
Two males, one female. Scene, an interior ; costumes, modern. James 
Winthrop, impecunious, calls upon his old friend, Dr. Raleigh, also hard 
Mp, to discuss the situation, and ends by getting engaged to the Doctor's 
landlady, a rich widow, who calls to collect the rent. Very swift work. 
Recommended. Price, 25 cents 

THE GO-BETWEEN 

A Dramatic Comedy Playlet 

By Harry L. Newton 

One male, two females. Scene, an interior ; costumes, modern. Plays 

twenty minutes. Hezekiah, jilted on the eve of his wedding to Muriel, a 

heartless adventuress, who has ruined him, is rescued from suicide by 

Jane, a country sweetheart, in a capital little piece, mingling humor and 

pathos most adroitly. Strongly recommended. 

Price, 25 cents 



OVER HERE 
A Drama of American Patriotism in Three Acts 
By Walter Ben Hare 
Seven male and six female characters. Two easy scenes, a village 
square and a plain room ; may be played on any stage or platform. A 
play designed to instil in the minds and hearts of the actors and the au- 
dience a deeper love for their country and a more thorough understanding 
of America's motives in entering a war to "make the world safe for de- 
mocracy." While several very strong emotional roles are introduced, the 
play, with careful rehearsing, may be made a big success even in the 
hands of the most inexperienced amateurs. Dan Monihan, jail-bird, 
water-rat, enemy of society, becomes the tool of certain German spies and 
brings an important package to Eckert, a wealthy miller at River Land- 
ing, Mo. The entrance of our country into the world struggle, the volun- 
teers leaving for the cantonments and the teachings of the patriotic Miss 
Em Finch tend to change the character of Dan Monihan from a Ger- 
man spy to an American lad willing to die for his country. In an in- 
tensely dramatic scene in the third act Dan, taunted with being a traitor 
and a man without a country, turns on Eckert, and, in a frenzy of pa- 
triotic hysteria, tries to kill the arch-spy. The play has certain literary 
qualities that will appeal to all teachers, and its patriotism will electrify 
its audiences and keep them tense with emotion from the rise to the fall 
of the curtain. Royalty, $10 for each performance. 
Price, 25 cents 

CHARACTERS 

Dan Monihan. Corporal Shannon. 

J. B. Wheedon. Miss Em Finch. 

Iudge Gary. Miss Lornie Davis, the milliner. 

Comrade Ferguson, a veteran Lizzie. 

of the Civil War. Mrs. Cronin. 

Tommy Cronin. Celia Baker. 

Frederick J. Eckert. A Child. 

SYNOPSIS 

Act I. — The village square at River Landing, Mo. The day 
they heard the news. 

Act II. — Same scene as Act I. The day the boys marched away. 

Act III. — Sitting-room in Eckert's house. The night the spy 
came home. 

STRONG MEDICINE 

A Comedy in Two Acts 
By Ernest L. Noon 
Three male, three female characters. Costumes modern ; scene, an in- 
terior. Plays an hour and a quarter. Royalty for amateurs, #5.00 for 
each performance. If a young surgeon should propose to you in his 
operating apron just after an operation, you would probably refuse him 
anyhow just as Kitty Davidson did Dr. Gordon. Perhaps the method 
you chose to repair the blunder would work better than Davidson's did, 
but it might not be as funny. A very novel and amusing piece strongly 
recommended. All the parts evenly good. 
Price, 25 cents 



PATTY MAKES THINGS HUM 

A Comedy in Three Acts 
By Carolyn Draper Gilpatric 
Four male, six female characters, all played in the original performance 
by ladies. Costumes, modern ; scenery, an interior and an exterior. 
Plays two hours. No royalty. Mrs. Greene ordains a dinner party ; the 
lobsters don't come ; Mr. Greene forgets all about the event ; the " ac- 
commodator " is sick, and the hostess' sixteen year old sister, Patty, ex- 
pelled from school, turns up very greatly undesired, as a last straw. 
Well, Nora is borrowed to do the cooking, and Patty is sent to bed to get 
rid of her ; but she turns up later to her sister's horror in the character of 
a waitress, serves the dinner, flirts with the guest of honor and has a good 
time generally under her sister's helpless eye. She raises the dickens 
with everybody and ends by getting engaged to the guest. A riot 
of swift young America fun pervaded everywhere by the side-splitting 
Hyacinth, the " cullud " help. An exceptionally lively piece, full of good 
dialogue and strongly recommended. Originally presented by The Fort- 
nightly Club, of Arlington. Price, 25 tents 

CHARACTERS 

Captain Braithwaite, who Mrs. Greene, Captain Little's 

wasn't so slow, after all. sister, who entertained under 

Captain Little, who had a difficulties. 

little misunderstanding. Patience Little (Patty), who 

Mr. Greene, who played the managed to make things hum. 

host. Helen Braithwaite, engaged 

Mr. Smith, a neighbor worth to Captain Little. 

while. Hope Dunbar, who is still hoping. 

Mrs. Smith, who proved herself Hyacinth, a loquacious colored 

a true friend. maid. 

SYNOPSIS 
Act I. — Mrs. Greene's living-room. Late afternoon. 
Act II. — Same as Act I, next morning. 
ACT III. — Garden near the house. Same evening. 

TROUBLE 

And Other Monologues 
By Louise Karr 
Seven monologues by this well-known author and reader, reprinted in 
part from " The Smart Set," " Success," " The Pictorial Review," etc., 
and all originally used by Miss Karr in a successful repertoire season in 
New York and other large cities of the country. A novel collection 
offering an unusual variety of humorous material for ladies. Bound to be 
well received wherever used. 

Price, cloth binding, 30 cents. 

CONTENTS 
Trouble, a Pet Dog. A Sale by Subscription. 

The Friend of the Family. Shopping with Charley. 
The Day Before Christmas. A Fair at the Children's 
At the Concert. Home. 



MUCH ADO ABOUT BETTY 

A Comedy in Three Acts 
By Walter Ben Hare 
Ten male, twelve female characters, or seven males and seven females 
by doubling. Costumes, modern ; scenery, two easy interiors. Plays a 
full evening. Betty, a moving picture star, going south on a vacation, 
loses her memory from the shock of a railway accident, and is identified 
as a rival, Violet Ostrich, from a hand-bag that she carries. In this char- 
acter she encounters the real Violet, who has just eloped with Ned OTIare, 
and mixes things up sadly both for herself and the young couple. An 
exceptionally bright, clever and effective play that can be highly recom- 
mended. Good Negro, Irish and eccentric comedy parts. 
Price, 25 cents 

CHARACTERS 

Lin Leonard, Betty's one best bet. Ethel'Kohleh, a high-school admirer 

Major Jartree, of Wichita, not only of Betty. 

bent, but crooked. Violet Ostrich, a film favorite, Ned's 

Ned O'Hare, a jolly young honeymooner. bride. 

Mr. E. Z. Ostrich, ivho has ivritten a Mrs. K. M. Digoins, a guest at the Hotel 

wonderful picture-play. Poinsettia. 

Dr. McNutt, solid ivory from the neck up. Daffodil Diggins, her daughter, "Yes, 

Jim Wiles, a high-school setiior. Mamma ! " 

Archie, a black bell-boy at the Hotel Miss Chizzle, one of the North Georgia 

Poinsettia. Chizzles. 

Officer Riley,«Vio always does his duty. Pearlie Brown, Violet's maid, a widow 

Officer DuGAN./rom the Emerald Isle. of ebon hue. 

Mr. Ebenezer O'Hare, a sick man and Violet, Violet Ostrich's little girl aged 

a submerged tenth. seven. 

Mrs. Ebenezer O'Hare, "Birdie," the Diamond, Pearlie' 's little girl aged six 

other nine-tenths. and 

Aunt Winnie, Betty's chaperone. Betty, the star of the Movagraph Co. 
Lizzie Monahan, Betty's maid, with a 

vivid imagination. 

Jartree may double Dugati ; Ned may double Riley ; Jim may double Archfe ; 
Mrs. O'Hare may double Ethel ; Aunt Winnie may double Pearlie and Lizzie 
may double Miss Chizzle, thus reducing the cast to seven males and seven fe- 
males. The two children have no lines to speak. 

SYNOPSIS 

Act I. Betty's apartments near New York. Married in haste. 
Act II. Parlor D of the Hotel Poinsettia, Palm Beech, Fla. Three days later. 
Betty loses her memory. 
Act III. Same scene as Act II. A full honeymoon. 

JUST A LITTLE MISTAKE 

A Comedy in One Act 
By Elisabeth Gale 
One male, five female characters, or can be played by all girls. Cos- 
ftimes, modern; scenery, an easy interior. Plays forty minutes. Mis. 
Ball receives a cablegram from her sister Lucy stating that Jerry 
will arrive that day and begging her to be cordial. Mrs. Ball then goes 
out to hire a cook, leaving three young friends to receive the unknown 
guest. The cook, sent down from the agency in haste, is greeted and 
entertained as Jerry and when the real Jerry (Miss Geraldine Take) ar- 
rives she is sent out to the kitchen. After considerable confusion and ex- 
citement she is discovered to be the "Little Miss Take." Strongly rec- 
ommended. Price, 23 cents 



THE CONJURER 

A Dramatic Mystery in Three Acts 

By Mansfield Scott 
Author of "The Sub?narine Shell," "The Air-Spy ," etc. 

Eight male, four female characters. Costumes, modern ; scenery, two 
easy interiors. Plays a full evening. Royalty for amateur performance, 
#10.00 for the first and #5.00 each for subsequent performances by the 
same company. Free for school performance. George Clifford, in- 
capacitated for service at the front, employs his great talents as a conjurer 
to raise money for the soldiers. He is utilized by Inspector Steele, of the 
U. S. Secret Service, in a plan to discover certain foreign spies. The plan 
goes wrong and involves seven persons in suspicion of a serious crime. 
Clifford's clever unravelling of this tangled skein constitutes the thrilling 
plot of this play, the interest of which is curiously like that of the popular 
"Thirteenth Chair." This is not a " war-play " save in a very remote 
and indirect way, but a clever detective story of absorbing interest. 
Strongly recommended. 

Price, 25 cents 

CHARACTERS 

Inspector Malcome Steele. Driscoll Wells. 

George Clifford. Doctor Gordon Peak. 

Captain Frank Drummond Detective White. 

Gleason. Marion Anderson. 

Lieutenant Hamilton War- Edith Anderson. 

wick. Ellen Gleason. 

Colonel Willard Anderson. Dorothy Elmstrom. 

SYNOPSIS 

Act I. — The home of Colonel Anderson (Friday evening). 
ACT II. — The office of Inspector Steele (Saturday afternoon). 
Act III. — The same as Act II (Saturday evening). 



THE OTHER VOICE 

A Play in One Act 

By S. vK. Fairbanks 
Three voices, preferably male, are employed in this little novelty which 
is intended to be presented upon a dark stage upon which nothing is* 
actually visible save starlight. It was originally produced at Workshop 
47, Cambridge, where its effective distillation of the essential oil of tragedy 
was curiously successful. An admirable item for any programme seeking 
variety of material and effect. Naturally no costumes nor scenery are re- 
quired, save a drop carrying stars and possibly a city sky-line. Plays ten 
minutes only; royalty, #5.00. 

Price, 25 cents 



LUCINDA SPEAKS 

A Comedy in Two Acts 
By Gladys Ruth Bridgham 
Eight women. Scene, an interior ; costumes, modern. Plays an hour 
and a quarter. Isabel Jewett has dropped her homely middle name, 
Lucinda, and with it many sterling traits of character, and is not a very 
good mother to the daughter of her husband over in France. But cir- 
cumstances bring " Lucinda " to life again with wonderful results. A 
pretty and dramatic contrast that is very effective. Well recommended. 
Price, 2"j cents 

CHARACTERS 

Isabel Jewett, aged 27. 
Miriam, her daughter, aged J. 
Mrs. McBierney, aged 50. 
Tessie Flanders, aged 18. 
Mrs. Douglas Jewett, aged 45. 
Helen, her daughter, aged 20. 
Mrs. Fogg, aged 35. 
Florence Lindsey, aged 25. 

SYNOPSIS 

Act I. — Dining-room in Isabel Jewett' s tenement, Roxbury, 
October, 1918. 
Act II. — The same — three months later. 

WRONG NUMBERS 

A Triologue Without a Moral 
By Essex Dane 
Three women. Scene, an interior ; unimportant. Costumes, modern. 
Plays twenty minutes. Royalty, #5.00. An intensely dramatic episode 
between two shop-lifters in a department store, in which " diamond cuts 
diamond " in a vividly exciting and absorbingly interesting battle of wits. 
A great success in the author's hands in War Camp work, and recom- 
mended in the strongest terms. A really powerful little play. 
Price, 2J cents 

FLEURETTE & CO. 
A Duologue in One Act 
By Essex Datie 
Two women. Scene, an interior ; costumes, modern. Plays twenty 
minutes. Royalty, #5.00. Mrs. Paynter, a society lady who does not 
pay her'bills, by a mischance puts it into the power of a struggling dress- 
maker, professionally known as " Fleurette & Co.," to teach her a valu- 
able lesson and, incidentally, to collect her bill. A strikingly ingenious 
and entertaining little piece of strong dramatic interest, strongly recom- 
mended. 

Price, 21 cents 



THE TIME OF HIS LIFE 

A Comedy in Three Acts by C. Leona Dairy mple. Six males, three 
females. Costumes, modern ; scenery, two interiors, or can be played in 
one. Plays two hours and a half. A side-splitting piece, full of action 
and a sure success if competently acted. Tom Carter's littie joke of im- 
personating the colored butler has unexpected consequences that give hirn 
" the time of his life." Very highly recommended for high school per* 
formance. Price, 25 cents 

THE COLLEGE CHAP 

A Comedy Drama in Three Acts by Harry L. Newton and John 
Pierre Roche. Eleven males, seven females. Costumes, modern ; scenery, 
two interiors. Plays two and a half hours. An admirable play for ama- 
teurs. Absolutely American in spirit and up to date ; full of sympathetic 
interest but plenty of comedy ; lots of healthy sentiment, but nothing 
" mushy." Just the thing for high schools ; sane, effective, and not dif- 
ficult. Pi-ice, 25 cents 

THE DEACON'S SECOND WIFE 

A Comedy in Three Acts by Allan Abbott. Six males, six females, 
Costumes, modern ; scenery, one interior, one exterior. Plays two houri 
and a half. A play of rural life specially written for school performance. 
All the parts are good and of nearly equal opportunity, and the piece is full 
of laughs. Easy to produce ; no awkward sentimental scenes ; can bt 
strongly recommended for high schools. Price, 25 cents 

THE TEASER 

A Rural Comedy in Three Acts by Charles S. Allen. Four male, three 
female characters. Scene, an easy interior, the same for all three acts ; 
costumes, modern. Plays an hour and a half. An admirable play for 
amateurs, very easy to get up, and very effective. Uraliah Higgins, a 
country postman, and Drusilla Todd are capital comedy parts, introducing 
songs or specialties, if desired. Plenty of incidental fun. 
Price, 25 cents 

COUNTRY FOLKS 

A Comedy Drama in Three Acts by Anthony E. Wills. Six males, five 
females. Costumes, modern; scenery, one interior. Plays two and a 
quarter hours. An effective and up-to-date play well suited for amateur 
performance. All the parts good and fairly even in point of opportunity j 
the ladies' parts especially so. Easy to stage, and well suited for schools. 
Well recommended. Price, 25 cents 

THE MISHAPS OF MINERVA 

A Farce in Two Acts by Bertha Currier Porter. Five males, eight fe- 
males. Costumes, modern ; scene, an interior. Plays one and a hall 
hours. An exceptionally bright and amusing little play of high class and 
recommended to all classes of amateur players. Full of action anrf 
laughs, but refined. Irish low comedy part. Strongly endorsed 
Price, 25 cents 



THE MAN WHO WENT 

{Originally produced under the title "The Black Feather.") 
A Play in Four Acts 
By IV. A, Tremayne 
Seven males, three females. Scenery, one interior and one exterior. 
Costumes, modern. Plays a full evening. Royalty, $10.00 for the first 
and $5.00 each for other immediately succeeding performances. An ex- 
ceptionally stirring and effective play of the Great War, produced with 
great success in Canada as the successor of the popular " The Man Who 
Stayed at Home." Jack Thornton, a King's Messenger, entrusted with 
important state papers for delivery in Vienna, is robbed of them through 
his attachment to a lady in the Austrian secret service, and his career 
jeopardized ; but by the cleverness and daring of Dick Kent, of the Eng- 
lish secret service, who is in love with his sister Evelyn, the plot is frus- 
trated in a series of thrilling scenes, and all ends well. An exceptionally 
well built drama, full of sensations, ending in a strong last act full of 
" punch." A good play for any purpose, but ideally suited to the temper 
of the present. Plenty of comedy, easy to stage, and confidently recom- 
mended. Price, 25 cents 

CHARACTERS 

Dick Kent, in the English Secret Service. 

Jack Thornton, a Kings Messenger. 

Baron Von Arnheim, in the German Secret Service. 

Sir George Caxton, in the British Foreign Office. 

Hogue, a German spy. 

Barnes, a chauffeur. 

Patton, a keeper. 

Evelyn Thornton, Jack's sister. 

Countess Wanda Von Holtzberg, in the Austrian Secre* Service. 

Lady Ven&tja Caxton, Sir George's wife. 

The action of the play takes place in the early summer of tQif. 

SYNOPSIS 

Act I. Jack Thornton's chambers in Portman Square, London. 
Dealing the cards. ** Beware of the dog." 

Act II. A retired corner of Sir George Caxton's estate in Kent. 
Dick takes the first trick. " The son of his father." 

Act III. Jack Thornton's chambers. A bold play. " Drive 
like the devil, Barnes — we've got to make Charing Cross by nine." 

Act IV. Jack Thornton's chambers. Dick wins the game. 
" Tightening the bonds of Empire." 

OUTWITTED 

A Comedy Dramatic Novelty 
By Harry L. Newton 
One male, one female. Scene, an interior ; costumes, modern. Plays 
twenty minutes. Sherman, a United States Secret Service man, encoun- 
ters Sophie, supposed to represent the enemy, and a duel of wits ensues. 
Very exciting and swift in movement, with an unexpected ending. Good 
work and well vecommended. Price, 25 cents 



^^ 



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Engaged by Wednesday 

The Farmerette 

For One Night Only 

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She Stoops to Conquer 

Step Lively 

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The Time of His Life 

Tommy's Wife 

The Twig of Thorn 



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